ENGLISH
REFERENCE

treble

adj.
C1 Advanced US //ˈtɹɛbəɫ// UK //tɹˈɛbəl// tre·ble Archaic

adj. three times as big or as much as something else. You use this to describe a triple amount of something.

adj. consisting of three parts or being three times as great in amount, number, or size. Often used in British English where American English prefers 'triple'.


SIMPLE

The company reported a treble profit this year.

CONTEXTUAL

The athlete celebrated a treble victory after winning the hundred-meter, two-hundred-meter, and relay races.

COMPLEX

The sudden surge in demand led to a treble increase in production costs, forcing the manufacturer to reconsider its long-term pricing strategy for the European market.

Synonyms
Origin

PIE word *tréyes From Middle English treble, from Old French treble, from Latin triplus. Doublet of triple.

Usage

Commonly used as a pre-determiner or adjective; in sports, it often functions as a countable noun to describe winning three trophies in one season.

Pitfall

a triple of the amounttreble the amountWhen used to mean 'three times as much', treble usually functions as a pre-determiner and does not require 'of'.

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