anthology

American  

[an-thol-uh-jee] / ænˈθɒl ə dʒi /

noun

plural

anthologies

1. a book or other collection of selected writings by various authors, usually in the same literary form, of the same period, or on the same subject.

   an anthology of Elizabethan drama; an anthology of modern philosophy.

2. a collection of selected writings by one author.

---

anthology British  

/ ˌænθəˈlɒdʒɪkəl, ænˈθɒlədʒɪ /

noun

1. a collection of literary passages or works, esp poems, by various authors

2. any printed collection of literary pieces, songs, works of art, etc

---

Other Word Forms

• anthological adjective
• anthologically adverb
• anthologist noun

Etymology

Origin of anthology

First recorded in 1630–40; from Latin anthologia, from Greek: “collection of poems,” literally, “gathering of flowers,” from anthológ(os) “flower-gathering” ( antho- antho- + -logos, adjective derivative of légein “to gather, recount, say, speak”) + -ia -ia

Example Sentences

This first installment of Murphy’s latest anthology franchise is a serviceable romance in a time when such stories rarely receive even modest studio budgets, let alone wide theatrical release.

From Salon • Feb. 12, 2026

David L. Wolper Award for outstanding producer of limited or anthology series television “Adolescence” “The Beast in Me” “Black Mirror” “Black Rabbit” “Dying for Sex”

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 9, 2026

The album will be BTS's first since the anthology "Proof" which became South Korea's bestselling record of 2022.

From Barron's • Jan. 1, 2026

TV roles also began stacking up in shows such as the Stephen King mini series, The Outsider, and Genius, the anthology series about Aretha Franklin, in which she played the leading role.

From BBC • Dec. 29, 2025

I lie across my bed, mindlessly flipping through pages of a poetry anthology my dad assigned me.

From "Internment" by Samira Ahmed