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  

/ 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

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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

Games Workshop, which struck a licensing deal with Amazon in 2024, said it had "almost completed" work on a new Warhammer-inspired episode of Secret Level, the Prime Video anthology series based on popular video games.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

"Beef," a Netflix anthology, stars Oscar Isaac and Carey Mulligan in its second iteration, which focuses on the explosive dynamic between two couples.

From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026

Hence, this gem of an anthology series, wherein real-life residents recount the stories that made them regionally famous or nationally infamous, while familiar actors and comedians recreate their stories.

From Salon ● Jul. 1, 2026

His father died when he was only 9 years old, and a neighbor who became a mentor gave him a copy of a schoolboy’s anthology.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026

I follow him, slipping the anthology under my binder.

From "The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl" by Stacy McAnulty

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

Curated anthologies like “P.O.V.” and “The Independent Lens” look at small lives in often out-of-the-way places in a manner nearly unique for television; “Frontline” specializes in relatively rapid yet thorough responses to current events.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 31, 2023

In more than 10 books and anthologies, Pratt carved out a distinctive niche with narrative-driven poetry that had a restless energy and a wide-angle lens.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 14, 2023

Would we please pass forward our poetry anthologies?

From "Okay for Now" by Gary D. Schmidt