trichotomy

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UK/tɹaɪˈkɒt.ə.mi/US/tɹaɪˈkɑt.ə.mi/

noun

Division or separation into three groups or pieces.

OriginAncient Greek τριχοτομία →
Scrabble 20
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Meanings

nountrichotomy (countable and uncountable, plural trichotomies)

plural trichotomies

  1. countableuncountableDivision or separation into three groups or pieces.
  2. countableuncountablealgebrathe property of an order relation whereby, given an ordered pair of elements (of a given algebraic structure), exactly one of these is true: the first element is 'less than' the second one, the second is 'less than' the first, or the two elements are equal.

    [A linear order] obeys the following trichotomy law[.]

    Aliprantis, Border (2006), Infinite Dimensional Analysis: A Hitchhiker's Guide (3rd ed.), p. 6

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
dichotomy

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekτριχοτομία
  2. Englishtrichotomy

From Ancient Greek τριχοτομία (trikhotomía), from τρίχα (tríkha) + τόμος (tómos) + -ία (-ía).

More words from Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian разделяне на три части
  • разделяне на три части (razdeljane na tri časti)division or separation into three
Finnish kolmijako
  • kolmijakodivision or separation into three
French trichotomie
  • trichotomiedivision or separation into three
Greek τριχοτόμηση
  • τριχοτόμηση (trichotómisi)division or separation into three
Hindi त्रिभाजन
  • त्रिभाजन (tribhājan)division or separation into three
Icelandic þríflokkun
  • þríflokkundivision or separation into three
Italian tricotomia
  • tricotomiadivision or separation into three
Japanese 三分法
  • 三分法 (sanbunhō)division or separation into three
Persian سهگانه, سفراز
  • سهگانهdivision or separation into three
  • سفرازdivision or separation into three
Portuguese tricotomia
  • tricotomiadivision or separation into three
Romanian trihotomie
  • trihotomiedivision or separation into three
Russian трихотомия
  • трихотомия (trixotomija)division or separation into three
Spanish tricotomía
  • tricotomíadivision or separation into three

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with trichotomy

dichotomyphlebotomylobotomyapotomecingulotomycingulumotomyfalse dichotomyleucotomyoophorotomytractotomy
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

trichotomy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/trichotomy

MLA

“trichotomy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/trichotomy. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “trichotomy,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/trichotomy.

Source: trichotomy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.