trilogy

American  

[tril-uh-jee] / ˈtrɪl ə dʒi /

noun

• trilogies
  plural

1. a series or group of three plays, novels, operas, etc., that, although individually complete, are closely related in theme, sequence, or the like.

2. (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.

3. a group of three related things.

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trilogy British  

/ ˈtrɪlədʒɪ /

noun

1. a series of three related works, esp in literature, etc

2. (in ancient Greece) a series of three tragedies performed together at the Dionysian festivals

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• trilogies
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

trilogy trilogies

In the climatic entry in Jón Kalman Stefánsson’s Icelandic trilogy about a boy’s passage through ordeals on land and sea, the battered young hero takes refuge in a village.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

The adaptation of the first installment of author Tomi Adeyemi’s bestselling “Legacy of Orïsha” fantasy trilogy is slated to hit theaters Jan. 15.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026

It is the first in a trilogy by Nigerian-American author Tomi Adeyemi, who co-wrote the screenplay with Gina Prince-Bythewood, director of Bafta-nominated historical drama The Woman King.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

He is Gollum in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Caesar in the Planet of Ape series, and Peter Jackson's King Kong.

From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026

Its sequel, Catulli Carmina, the second part of a trilogy, was presented at the Leipzig Municipal Theatre in November 1943.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

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

As trilogies go, Friday's third instalment of the Katie Taylor v Amanda Serrano rivalry at New York's Madison Square Garden doesn't add up, but still makes all the sense in the world.

From BBC ● Jul. 11, 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

Many filmmakers think in terms of trilogies and conclusions, but since these movies are so different from one another, it sounds like you’re freed from carrying those burdens.

From New York Times ● Dec. 7, 2022

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

Related Words

• threesome
• triad
• troika