trio

American  

[tree-oh] / ˈtri oʊ /

noun

plural

trios

1. a musical composition for three voices or instruments.

2. a company of three singers or players.

3. any group of three persons or things.

4. a subordinate division of a minuet, scherzo, march, etc., usually in a contrasted key and style (perhaps originally written for three instruments or in three parts).

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trio British  

/ ˈtriːəʊ /

noun

1. a group of three people or things

2. music

   1. a group of three singers or instrumentalists or a piece of music composed for such a group

   2. a subordinate section in a scherzo, minuet, etc, that is contrastive in style and often in a related key

3. piquet three cards of the same rank

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Etymology

Origin of trio

1715–25; < Italian, equivalent to tri- tri- + ( du ) o two

Example Sentences

That should put it on track for a June listing as part of a trio of mega-IPOs expected soon.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026

The trio of colorful and competing events left the city's monument area thronged with tourists, activists and selfie-seekers -- a tapestry of political protest, environmental tourism and family fun.

From Barron's • Mar. 28, 2026

In 1972, Dea became obsessed with Stewart after hearing him sing a trio of Motown hits on an old demo tape.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

One early peak of the set came when Jake Duzsik of the L.A. industrial-rock trio Health came out to duet on “The Drain,” a lurching, menacing collaborative single and a standout for both bands.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026

We stood together, our trio at the corner of the stage, and listened as a steel guitar started off the first song.

From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry

Related Words

• threesome
• trilogy
• triumvirate