anthology

American  

[an-thol-uh-jee] / ænˈθɒl ə dʒi /

noun

• anthologies
  plural

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.

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anthology British  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• anthologist
  noun
• anthological
  adjective
• anthologically
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• anthologies
  plural

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

Explanation

A collection of writings is an anthology. The heavy textbooks that span the literature of an entire culture and that school children transport in over-sized backpacks with wheels? Those are anthologies. An anthology used to be just a collection of poetry, and the word came from the 17th-century Greek word anthologia for "flower gathering" or "collecting." A contemporary anthology can include anything from classic literature to rap music lyrics. Often an anthology focuses on one type, or genre, of writing, as in an anthology of horse riding haikus, or even an anthology of writings on writing. However, sometimes textbook-style anthologies — like Global Literature — will ambitiously try to include works from writers throughout the ages and from throughout the world.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

anthology anthologies

Vicky Krieps, Rebecca Hall and Charlie Hunnam also star in the latest chapter of Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s anthology series.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026

Rosen said the show "really took people by surprise" and could break Netflix's three-year winning streak for best limited series, despite the strength of the streaming giant's second take of the anthology series "Beef."

From Barron's ● Sep. 12, 2026

Olsen: Just a rare double nominee, lead actor in a comedy series with “Widow’s Bay,” and then lead actor in a limited or anthology series or movie with “The Beast in Me.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

But instead of gossiping about who’s dating whom, collaborators batted around their pasts and infused the darkly comedic anthology series with themes of samsara and the Jungian Shadow.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026

I follow him, slipping the anthology under my binder.

From "The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl" by Stacy McAnulty

He also has written reviews and essays for a variety of magazines, anthologies and online publications, most recently the "Everyone's Gone to the Movies" essay collections for Ghost Show Press.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

A regular contributor to The Times, Woods is a member of the National Book Critics Circle and the editor of several anthologies and four novels in the “Charlotte Justice” mystery series.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 12, 2026

He wrote introductions and appreciations, edited anthologies and reissues, taught in writing programs, recommended candidates for artist residencies, advised the Guggenheim Foundation on fellowship recipients and informally brokered the advancement of innumerable authors.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 7, 2025

He has also helped raise the profile of other poets: He has edited two poetry anthologies and, since 2020, has been the poetry editor of The Nation.

From New York Times ● Jan. 19, 2024

She asks Maddie and Jennifer to hand out the anthologies.

From "The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl" by Stacy McAnulty