- consisting of three or groups of three
- (of a number system) to the base three
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
ter•na•ry /ˈtɜrnəri/USA pronunciation
adj., n., pl. -ries.
adj.
n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026adj.
- consisting of or involving three;
threefold;
triple. - third in order or rank.
n. [countable]
- a group of three.
ter•na•ry
(tûr′nə rē),USA pronunciation adj., n., pl. -ries.
adj.
n.
adj.
- consisting of or involving three;
threefold;
triple. - third in order or rank.
- based on the number three.
- Chemistry
- consisting of three different elements or groups.
- (formerly) consisting of three atoms.
- Mathematicshaving three variables.
- Metallurgy(of an alloy) having three principal constituents.
n.
- a group of three.
- Latin ternārius made up of three. See tern2, -ary
- late Middle English 1400–50
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
ternary /ˈtɜːnərɪ/ adj
'ternary' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):