# ternary

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈtɜː.nə.ɹi/ · frequency rank #52,043

## Definitions
1. Made up of three things.
2. Arranged in groups of three.
3. To the base three.
4. Having three variables.
5. Containing, or consisting of, three different parts, as elements, atoms, groups, or radicals, which are regarded as having different functions or relations in the molecule.
6. Of an operator taking three operands.

## Etymology
From Late Latin ternārius (“consisting of three things”), from ternī (“three each”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/ternary