triáda

Triáda, tríada, or tríade is a term used in several Romance-language contexts to denote a group or set of three related elements. The word derives from Greek and is employed across disciplines to label triads or trios. Because its exact meaning depends on context, triáda is best understood as a general descriptor rather than a single, fixed object.

In music theory, a triad is a three-note chord formed by stacking two intervals of a third. The basic triad consists of a root, a third, and a fifth above it. Common types include major, minor, diminished, and augmented triads. Triads are the foundational building blocks of tonal harmony, and they can be played in root position or inverted to place a different note in the bass.

In sociology and anthropology, a triad refers to a three-person social unit. Triads introduce dynamics that do not occur in dyads, such as mediation, coalitions, and shifting loyalties. The concept has been central in the work of Georg Simmel and subsequent theorists who examine group behavior, power relations, and stability within three-person interactions.

In medicine and the health sciences, a triad denotes a conventional set of three clinical features used for diagnosis or description. Many triads are named after physicians who first described them (for example, Charcot’s triad in certain biliary conditions), illustrating how triads organize clinical observation and communication.

Beyond these fields, triáda can refer to any three-part grouping used for classification, analysis, or representation, including cultural, technological, or data-structuring contexts. The term thus functions as a descriptive label for a triplet of related elements rather than a fixed, universal object.