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tiers

third party, third

noun TYEHR Rare
Numbers & Measures Cardinal Numbers

Origin: from Latin 'tertius' (third)

Also means

one third (fraction)

Usage Note

Tiers as a noun always refers to 'a third' — either a fraction (un tiers du budget) or an uninvolved third party (un tiers médiateur — a mediating third party). The final -s is silent; the word is invariable in that spelling. In law, les tiers means outside parties not part of an agreement. Tiers payant is the French healthcare system by which insurers pay pharmacies directly.

Examples

"Un tiers des élèves était absent."

Natural Translation

A third of the students was absent.

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