trinity

A group or set of three people or things; three things combined into one.

Noun

  1. A group or set of three people or things; three things combined into one.
    • Near-synonyms: threesome, triad, trio, trine, troika, triumvirate; see also Thesaurus:trio
    • But when the moon rose and the breeze awakened, and the sedges stirred, and the cat's-paws raced across the moonlit ponds, and the far surf off Wonder Head intoned the hymn of the four winds, the trinity, earth and sky...

    Synonyms: threesome triad trio trine troika triumvirate tern ternary ternion threeness trinary trinity triplet

    Coordinate Terms: unity duality quaternity quinity

  2. The state of being three; independence of three things; things divided into three.

    Synonyms: threeness triality trinity

    Coordinate Terms: unity oneness duality twoness quaternity fourness quinity fiveness

Origin

From Middle English trinite, from Anglo-Norman trinite and Old French ternite (modern French trinité), from Latin trīnitās, from trīnī (“three each”), from trēs (“three”). By surface analysis, trine + -ity. Displaced native Old English þrines (literally “threeness”).

Forms

trinities

Related

triangle triarchy triatomicity trichotomy trinary tripartiteness triple triumvirate triune binitarian triunity unitarian

Derived

herb trinity holy trinity impossible trinity nontrinitarian nontrinitarianism quadrinity Texas trinity trinitarian trinitize Trinity trinityhood triniunity unholy trinity