Did you know?
The best-known type of triad is a type of musical chord consisting of three notes. A D-major triad is made up of the notes D, F-sharp, and A; an F-minor triad is made up of F, A-flat, and C; and so on. Major and minor triads form the basis of tonal music, and songs and other pieces usually end with a triadic harmony. In medicine, a triad is a set of three symptoms that go together. The Chinese criminal organizations called triads got their name from the triangular symbol that they used back when they began, centuries ago, as patriotic organizations. Today, with over 100,000 members, the triads operate in the U.S., Canada, and many other countries.
Synonyms
Examples of triad in a Sentence
Skyler Caruso, Peoplemag, 27 Nov. 2023
The $100 billion that will go to Sentinel represents only the first step of what is anticipated to be a $1.5-trillion investment in the triad, all of which is predicated on ramping up production of new plutonium pits, the deadly metallic hearts of nuclear warheads.
—Abe Streep, Scientific American, 10 Nov. 2023
The bomber is part of the U.S. military’s effort to update its nuclear triad, which includes warheads, submarines and missiles, as global rivals such as China also improve their weapons technology.
—Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 10 Nov. 2023
As the triad groups coordinated their plans for July 21, a detective sergeant from the anti-triad bureau that oversaw the area was reading along.
—Timothy McLaughlin, Washington Post, 3 Nov. 2023
After the troops withdrew, unregulated development made the Walled City a den of crime and a base for five overlapping triad gangs.
—Patrick Frater, Variety, 14 Mar. 2023
The Heart Triad Nicknamed the feeling triad, types two, three, and four are in the heart triad.
—Addison Aloian, Women's Health, 11 June 2023
The work ends with a rising series of clashing chords, landing on a cheerful B-flat triad.
—Christian Hertzog, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Oct. 2023
Ahead, Cron explains each of the three Enneagram triads: The Gut Triad Also known as the anger triad, this triad houses types one, eight, and nine.
—Addison Aloian, Women's Health, 11 June 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'triad.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Latin triad-, trias, from Greek, from treis three
1546, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near triad
Cite this Entry
“Triad.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/triad. Accessed 6 Dec. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
triad
noun
Medical Definition
triad
noun
More from Merriam-Webster on triad
Nglish: Translation of triad for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of triad for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about triad
Share