trilogy

noun

tril·​o·​gy ˈtri-lə-jē 

plural trilogies

: a series of three dramas or literary works or sometimes three musical compositions that are closely related and develop a single theme

Did you know?

Dozens of tragic trilogies were written for the Greek stage, though only one, Aeschylus's great Oresteia (consisting of Agamemnon, The Libation Bearers, *and *The Eumenides), has survived complete. Authors in later years have occasionally chosen to create trilogies to allow themselves to develop a highly complex story or cover a long span of time. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings wasn't actually intended as a trilogy, but since it was published in three volumes it's usually called one. George Lucas's three original Star Wars movies are an example of a film trilogy (which he followed many years later by another).

Examples of trilogy in a Sentence

the last book in the trilogy

Recent Examples on the Web

Based on characters created by J.R.R. Tolkien, War of the Rohirrim is set 183 years before the events chronicled in the original trilogy of Lord of the Rings films. —Denise Petski, Deadline, 21 Feb. 2025

There’s a pleasing trilogy symmetry in Haugerud’s focus for the first time here exclusively on female desire, with men relegated to the periphery. —David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Feb. 2025

This isn’t Before Sunrise, the first installment of Richard Linklater’s romance trilogy starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy as two strangers who strike up a conversation on a train and spend the night together in Vienna, but it is designed to feel like it. —Kayti Burt, TIME, 20 Feb. 2025

Ethan Hawke Hawke’s filmography is legendary, ranging from indie and arthouse favorites (Reality Bites; the Before trilogy) to mainstream hits (Dead Poets Society, Gattaca). —Emma Specter, Vogue, 19 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Greek trilogia, from tri- + -logia -logy

First Known Use

circa 1661, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

trilogy

noun

tril·​o·​gy ˈtril-ə-jē 

plural trilogies

: a series of three literary, dramatic, or musical works that are closely related and develop a single theme