trilogy
Americannoun
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a series or group of three plays, novels, operas, etc., that, although individually complete, are closely related in theme, sequence, or the like.
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(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.
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a group of three related things.
noun
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a series of three related works, esp in literature, etc
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(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"
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This Week In Words: Current Events Vocab for December 26, 2020—January 1, 2021
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"Tested by a Picturesque Dystopia"
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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.
The Targaryen version of “Dynasty” that HBO is airing now owes a debt to Peter Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy and its follow-up, “The Hobbit,” for its existence.
From Salon • Jun. 24, 2026
With a collagist technique adapted from Modernism, the trilogy encompasses World War I and the great crash of 1929.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 19, 2026
The couple married in 1969 and divorced in 1983, but during their time together they made the original “Star Wars” trilogy.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2026
The star also appears in the film adaptation of "Street Fighter" and in the "Dune" trilogy, whose final installment hits theaters in December.
From Barron's • Jun. 1, 2026
Parents of a friend in Farmer’s advanced elementary school class introduced P.J. to Tolkien’s trilogy, The Lord of the Rings.
From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French
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.
