trilogy
Americannoun
-
trilogies
plural
-
a series or group of three plays, novels, operas, etc., that, although individually complete, are closely related in theme, sequence, or the like.
-
(in ancient Greek drama) a series of three complete and usually related tragedies performed at the festival of Dionysus and forming a tetralogy with the satyr play.
-
a group of three related things.
noun
-
a series of three related works, esp in literature, etc
-
(in ancient Greece) a series of three tragedies performed together at the Dionysian festivals
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of trilogy
From the Greek word trilogía, dating back to 1655–65. See tri-, -logy
Explanation
If you’ve just started a trilogy of books, you’ll be reading for a while. A trilogy is something that has three parts, so you'll have three books to read. You can see the tri-, meaning "three," in trilogy. The word originates from the Greek word trilogia, meaning "series of three related tragedies performed at Athens at the festival of Dionysus." Today, you can use trilogy to describe three of anything, such as a trilogy of movies that has the same characters, settings, and themes.
Vocabulary lists containing trilogy
100 SAT Words Beginning with "T"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
This Week In Words: Current Events Vocab for December 26, 2020—January 1, 2021
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"Tested by a Picturesque Dystopia"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
After beating Serrano in last year's trilogy decider, Taylor quietly decided she was done.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
It was restarted from scratch in 2013 with a new trilogy dubbed "Survivor", chronicling the adventures of a younger, less experienced Lara.
From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026
Disney got to work making spin-offs of spin-offs of stories about a bounty hunter who had around 10 minutes of screen time in the original Star Wars trilogy.
From Salon ● Aug. 29, 2026
But “Life of M” feels different, perhaps because the world feels far different than it did eight years ago, when “Kudos,” the last book in the trilogy, was published.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
Everyone in the Annex except Mr. van Daan and Peter has read the Hungarian Rhapsody trilogy, a biography of the composer, piano virtuoso and child prodigy Franz Liszt.
From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank
He wrote more than two dozen books, including Cold War spy trilogies and World War II nonfiction.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 27, 2026
Author Philip Pullman has revealed details of the sixth and final book in his series about Lyra Silvertongue, the character at the heart of His Dark Materials and The Book of Dust trilogies.
From BBC ● Apr. 29, 2025
The core series of film trilogies center generations of Skywalkers and their legacies.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 22, 2025
"For all the scope and detail lovingly packed into the two trilogies, the vast, complex and dazzling universe dreamed up by J.R.R. Tolkien remains largely unexplored on film," Warner Bros.
From Reuters ● Feb. 24, 2023
Why, if the old Greeks had had this man, what trilogies of plays—what epics—would have been made out of him!
From Complete Prose Works Specimen Days and Collect, November Boughs and Goodbye My Fancy by Walt Whitman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
