Triangulation means figuring out where something is by measuring its distance or direction from two or more known points. Imagine you're lost in the woods but you can see a tall water tower to your north and a distinctive red barn to your east. If you know where those landmarks are on a map, you can draw lines from each one toward your position. Where those lines cross is where you are. That's triangulation.

Sailors used this method for centuries, measuring angles to lighthouses or mountain peaks to determine their ship's position. Hikers use triangulation with compass readings to find themselves on a map. Your phone uses a more sophisticated version, measuring signals from multiple cell towers or satellites to pinpoint your location within feet.

The word comes from triangle because you're essentially creating triangles between known points and the unknown location you're trying to find. The more reference points you have, the more accurate your answer becomes.

In a broader sense, people use triangulation to mean checking multiple sources to find the truth. A detective might triangulate witness statements to figure out what really happened. A student researching a topic might triangulate information from several books to get the full picture. When you hear different versions of the same story from friends, you're triangulating to understand what actually occurred.