Holy Trinity

noun

1

: trinity sense 1

According to legend, St. Patrick used the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity to the Celts.

—Rosemary Ellen Guiley

2

or holy trinity

a

: a group of three things or people regarded as having fundamental importance or prominence in a particular place or area of interest or activity

By September, the region's famous foliage is emerging, the air is crisp, and it's prime time for the first two sports of the Woodstock Holy Trinity of fishing, biking, and skiing.

—National Geographic

I grew up in a town so white that our celebrity holy trinity consisted of Martha Stewart, Paul Newman, and Jason Robards.

—Robert Wilder

Vanilla, chocolate and strawberry, the holy trinity of young ice-cream purists …

—Pierre Franey

… mocks the holy trinity of the art world—sex, drugs and pretension.

—Maria Simson

b

cooking : the combination of onion, bell pepper, and celery as it is employed in Cajun and Creole cuisine

Almost every traditional Cajun recipe calls for the merged flavors of the Holy Trinity to serve as its underpinning, rendering the three aromatic vegetables the most prized ingredients of all in New Orleans cookery.

—Lia Ryerson

Examples of Holy Trinity in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In lieu of flowers, donations to Thunderbird Charities, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arizona and the Holy Trinity Building Mortgage Fund would honor Katsenes' dreams for the community, said Katsenes Pappas. Reach the reporter at [e-mail]. —Sasha Hupka, The Arizona Republic, 26 Nov. 2024

Yellow onion, green bell pepper, and celery: While many dressing recipes call for celery and onion, the Cajun or Creole Holy Trinity is crucial for developing an aromatic base that beautifully complements the fresh oysters and makes this dressing really shine. —Catherine Jessee, Southern Living, 23 Nov. 2024

The Three Stooges, the Holy Trinity of slapstick, are in the pantheon of comedy teams. —Donald Liebenson, Vulture, 14 June 2024

Across most denominations and traditions, Christians believe in the Holy Spirit – part of the Holy Trinity, together with God the Father and Jesus Christ, the Son. —Dara Delgado, The Conversation, 3 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1