What does triplication mean?
Triplication means multiplying by three or producing three identical copies. The word can describe a mathematical operation, as when a quantity is increased to three times its original value, or the practical process of copying a document, specimen, or other material into three versions. It is also an established term in genetics: a chromosomal triplication occurs when a particular chromosome segment is present in three copies instead of the usual two, potentially affecting the dosage of nearby genes. Although its general meaning is readily understood from its components, triplication is more formal and less usual in everyday conversation than the simpler noun tripling. The related verb triplicate and adjective triplicate are often more convenient when describing an individual copy or set of three copies. In biomedical writing, the term is especially valuable because it clearly identifies a specific chromosomal or genetic condition rather than merely an unspecified increase.
nounThe process of multiplying a quantity by three or making three identical copies of something. It can also refer to the result or state of having three copies.
- The multiplication of a quantity by three.
- The act or process of making three identical copies of something, or the state of having three copies.
"The triplication of the chromosome segment resulted in the gene being present in three copies."
"The triplication of the chromosome segment resulted in the gene being present in three copies."
"The triplication of the sample enabled three laboratories to test it simultaneously."
The plural is grammatically standard but rare, even in specialist writing.
"Researchers documented triplications of the gene in three participants."
A triplication is genetic shorthand for three copies where nature usually provides only two.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does triplication come from?
The word comes from the Latin noun triplicatio, meaning a multiplication by three, which was formed from triplicare, “to multiply by three.” Triplicare combines tri-, meaning three, with plicare, “to fold,” reflecting the older idea of folding something into three layers. English cognates include triple, triplicate, triplicity, and triplify, all of which reflect the same Latin tradition of threefoldness or multiplication by three.
How triplication is actually used
The word is formal and relatively uncommon in general speech. In genetics and related biomedical contexts, it has a specialized meaning: the presence of three copies of a chromosome segment or gene rather than the usual two. It may also occur in legal and administrative language concerning multiple copies of a document.
Easily confused with triplication
Triplication is the process of making three copies or multiplying by three, whereas triplicate can describe an existing set of three copies or the act of producing them.