trifecta

noun

tri·​fec·​ta trī-ˈfek-tə 

ˈtrī-ˌfek-

1

: triple sense 1b

achieved a show-business trifecta : a platinum record, hit TV series, and an Oscar

2

: a variation of the perfecta in which a bettor wins by selecting the first three finishers of a race in the correct order of finish

Did you know?

Where does trifecta come from?

Trifecta is a recent addition to the English language. It first appeared in the early 1970s as a term for a horse-racing bet in which the first, second, and third place finishers are chosen in the correct order.

The word has since broadened in meaning: it can now also refer to a group of three (usually desirable) things (such as “the trifecta of curing cancer, ending hunger, and putting an end to war"). It is found in everything from advertisements to media company names to casual speech.

Trifecta combines the prefix tri- (meaning “three”) with the last element in perfecta, a word of American Spanish origin that refers to a horse-racing bet in which the first- and second-place finishers are chosen correctly.

Synonyms

• threesome
• triad
• trinity
• trio
• triple
• triplet
• triumvirate

Examples of trifecta in a Sentence

that summertime trifecta for meteorologically induced misery: hazy, hot, and humid

Recent Examples on the Web

No one can be surprised that Republicans are hoping to exploit their Washington trifecta — the White House and majority control of the House and Senate — by implementing vast federal budget cuts in order to save their 2017 tax cuts from expiration. —Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 15 Jan. 2025

States like Washington and California are going into 2025 expecting significant budget shortfalls and both states have Democratic trifectas. —Tax Notes Staff, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025

But the trifecta was lost after Republicans won back the state House in the fall. —Anna Clark, ProPublica, 10 Jan. 2025

With a trifecta in the House, the Senate and the White House, Republicans will have the ability to attempt to implement major policy changes without any Democratic support using a procedural tool called budget reconciliation, which only requires a simple majority of votes to pass the chamber. —Katherine Faulders, ABC News, 4 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

tri- + perfecta

First Known Use

1971, in the meaning defined at sense 2