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triad

Definition of Triad

(noun) A group of three.

Examples of Triad

Triad Pronunciation

Pronunciation Usage Guide

Syllabification: tri·ad

Audio Pronunciation

– American English
– British English

Phonetic Spelling

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

International Phonetic Alphabet

  • American English – /ˈtraɪˌæd/
  • British English – /ˈtrʌɪad/

Usage Notes

  • Plural: triads
  • Georg Simmel (1858–1918) noted that the difference between a dyad (group of two) is there are opportunities in a triad for two members to form a coalitionagainst the other.
  • Also called:
    • ternary
    • ternion
    • threesome
    • trine
    • trinity
    • trio
    • triplicity
    • triumvirate
  • A group of three is described as (adjective) triadic or (adjective) triadistic.

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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.

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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.

Oxford University Press. (N.d.) Oxford Dictionaries. (https://www.oxforddictionaries.com/).

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

Taylor & Francis. (N.d.) Routledge Handbooks Online. (https://www.routledgehandbooks.com/).

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.) Wiktionary, The Free Dictionary. Wikimedia Foundation. (http://en.wiktionary.org).

Wiley. (N.d.) Wiley Online Library. (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/).

Cite the Definition of Triad

ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “triad.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved December 2, 2024 (https://sociologydictionary.org/triad/).

APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition)

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

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

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “triad.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed December 2, 2024. https://sociologydictionary.org/triad/.

MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)

“triad.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2013. Web. 2 Dec. 2024. <https://sociologydictionary.org/triad/>.