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dyad

Definition of Dyad

(noun) A group of two.

Examples of Dyad

Dyad Pronunciation

Pronunciation Usage Guide

Syllabification: dy·ad

Audio Pronunciation

– American English
– British English

Phonetic Spelling

  • American English – /dIE-ad/
  • British English – /dIE-ad/

International Phonetic Alphabet

  • American English – /ˈdaɪˌæd/
  • British English – /ˈdʌɪad/

Usage Notes

  • Plural: dyads
  • Georg Simmel (1858–1918) noted that the difference between a dyad and triad (group of three) is there are opportunities in a triad for two members to form a coalition against the other.
  • The smallest group.
  • If one individual leaves a dyad, a group ceases to exist.
  • Informally called:
    • couple
    • duad
    • duo
    • pair
    • twosome
  • Batman and Robin are a (adjectivedyadic group.

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Additional Information

Related Terms


Works Consulted

Andersen, Margaret L., and Howard Francis Taylor. 2011. Sociology: The Essentials. 6th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Brym, Robert J., and John Lie. 2007. Sociology: Your Compass for a New World. 3rd ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

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Griffiths, Heather, Nathan Keirns, Eric Strayer, Susan Cody-Rydzewski, Gail Scaramuzzo, Tommy Sadler, Sally Vyain, Jeff Bry, Faye Jones. 2016. Introduction to Sociology 2e. Houston, TX: OpenStax.

Henslin, James M. 2012. Sociology: A Down-to-Earth Approach. 10th ed. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Hughes, Michael, and Carolyn J. Kroehler. 2011. Sociology: The Core. 10th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Jary, David, and Julia Jary. 2000. Collins Dictionary of Sociology. 3rd ed. Glasgow, Scotland: HarperCollins.

Kendall, Diana. 2011. Sociology in Our Times. 8th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Kimmel, Michael S., and Amy Aronson. 2012. Sociology Now. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Kornblum, William. 2008. Sociology in a Changing World. 8th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Macionis, John. 2012. Sociology. 14th ed. Boston: Pearson.

Macionis, John, and Kenneth Plummer. 2012. Sociology: A Global Introduction. 4th ed. Harlow, England: Pearson Education.

Stolley, Kathy S. 2005. The Basics of Sociology. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.

Thompson, William E., and Joseph V. Hickey. 2012. Society in Focus: An Introduction to Sociology. 7th ed. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Tischler, Henry L. 2011. Introduction to Sociology. 10th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Wikipedia contributors. (N.d.) Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. (https://en.wikipedia.org/).

Cite the Definition of Dyad

ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “dyad.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved March 19, 2024 (https://sociologydictionary.org/dyad/).

APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition)

dyad. (2013). In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/dyad/

Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date – Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “dyad.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed March 19, 2024. https://sociologydictionary.org/dyad/.

MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)

“dyad.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2013. Web. 19 Mar. 2024. <https://sociologydictionary.org/dyad/>.