tricolon

Three parallel phrases

A tricolon is a rhetorical device consisting of three parallel words, phrases, or clauses: veni, vidi, vici (I came, I saw, I conquered).

The three-part structure creates rhythm and emphasis, making statements more memorable.

Tricolons appear throughout oratory, advertising, and literature: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; blood, sweat, and tears.

rhetoric

parallelism

Matching structural elements

anaphoraRepeated opening words
epistropheRepeating concluding words
chiasmusInverted parallel construction

antithesis · climax · anticlimax · polysyndeton · periodic sentence · rhetorical device · figure of speech · oratory · amplification

structure

three-part

Having three divisions

tripletSet of three
trioGroup of three
triadGroup of three

sequence · series · progression · cumulative · escalation · rhythm · cadence · balance · ternary · tripartite

persuasion

emphasis

Stress given to something

impactForceful contact or consequence
memorableWorth holding onto
convincingAble to persuade

compelling · eloquence · forceful · effective · resonance · weight · power · punch · gravitas · authority

examples

veni vidi vici

Latin victory proclamation

friends Romans countrymenClassical speech's opening address
blood sweat and tearsMaximum physical and emotional exertion
reduce reuse recycleWaste minimization principles

Opposites

number of elements

tricoloncouplet

Two successive verse lines

doublet · quartet

rhetorical structure

tricolonsimple sentence

Single-clause complete thought

Family

Familiarity: Top 1,000,000
Profile: Used worldwide · Timeless · Abstract · Rated G