Definition

A symbol made of three lines that can be solid or broken, often used in Chinese philosophy and fortune-telling.

Example

In the I Ching, each trigram represents different natural elements and concepts.

Conversation

Have you ever heard of a trigram in the I Ching?

Yeah, I think it's some kind of ancient symbol, right?

Exactly! It's made up of three lines that can be whole or broken.

That's fascinating! I’d love to learn more about how they work.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Trigram is formed from "tri-" (meaning three) and "gram" (from Greek "gramma", meaning something written or a letter). The word refers to a group of three written characters or letters.

Memory Tip

Think of 'tri-' meaning three, and 'gram' meaning something written — a trigram is a set of three written characters.

Visually Confused Words