Threenesses

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The quality or state of being composed of three parts or elements; the characteristic of having three distinct aspects or features; the abstract concept of triadic completeness or unity
2. A property signifying the presence of three components or members; a condition involving a trio as a fundamental structure; the idea of something defined by a tripartite nature
3. The attribute of consisting of three essential parts; a principle indicating a set of three united features; the notion of a triad forming a coherent whole

Etymology: "Threenesses" is simply the plural of "threeness," which is built from "three" and the suffix "-ness," used to turn adjectives into nouns of quality. The suffix itself is old: Old English formed "þrīnes" (also "þrīnness") as a word for the Trinity, literally "three-ness," so the concept of threeness as a sacred unity was present from the start. The Middle English descendants carry the same sense: "þrinnesse," "þrimnesse," "þremnesse," and "þrumnesse" all meant "trinity," the idea of three persons forming one whole. That theological origin explains why the word still suggests a triad that functions as a single coherent unit rather than just a count of three things.

Synonyms: trinities, triplets, triads