noun
trichotomy; three-way division
A technical or academic term for dividing something into three parts or categories. Often used in philosophy, logic, or classification systems.
この分類は三分法に基づいている。
This classification is based on a trichotomy.
二分法 means dichotomy (division into two), while 三分法 means trichotomy (division into three).
Compound of 三 (three), 分 (divide), and 法 (method, law). The term is a direct calque of the Western concept of trichotomy.