tri

The word “tri” means (informal) Short for triathlon. In plain terms, a casual short form for words like triathlon or triangle.

“Tri” is pronounced treye (/tɹaɪ/ in IPA).

Here is “tri” used in a sentence: “She's training for her first tri next summer.”

“Tri” is a noun.

“Tri” is an uncommon word in modern English.

“Tri” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: (informal) Short for triathlon.

Tri is simply an informal, shortened form of triathlon, used casually among athletes and fans, while triathlon is the full, formal name of the multi-sport race combining swimming, cycling, and running. The shortened form is common in spoken or informal written contexts, such as training logs or casual conversation.

Yes, tri is also an informal short form of triangle, so its meaning depends heavily on context, such as sports talk versus geometry or music discussion. Readers typically rely on surrounding words to determine whether tri refers to the race or the shape.

No, because tri is labeled informal, it is better suited to casual speech or writing, such as conversations among athletes, rather than formal documents, which should use the full words triathlon or triangle instead.