Dritter

Dritter is a German word that primarily functions as the ordinal adjective meaning “third.” It is used to express a position in a sequence and agrees with the noun it modifies. In everyday German it appears in forms such as der dritte Mann, die dritte Frau, and das dritte Mal, and its endings vary with gender, case, and whether an article is present. The word is common in contexts ranging from rankings and dates to counts and steps in a process.

When used as a noun, the ordinal can be substantivized to refer to the person or item occupying the third position in a series. In such usage it is typically capitalized, as in Der Dritte, Die Dritte, or simply Der Dritte has won, depending on the gender of the implied noun. This substantive use is typical in lists, rankings, or narratives that enumerate participants or stages.

Dritter is also a surname found in German-speaking regions. As a family name, it most likely originated from the same ordinal root, possibly indicating a connection to a third-born child or to someone associated with the number three. Surnames formed from ordinals are part of a broader pattern of occupational or descriptive surnames in German onomastics.

In German, related terms include Erste, Zweite, and Dritte, which likewise function as ordinals and can be used adjectivally or substantively depending on context. The word Dritter appears in both ordinary prose and formal writing, remaining a standard example of German ordinal morphology and naming practices.