trifecta
noun
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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.
Examples of trifecta in a Sentence
Brittany Talarico, PEOPLE, 24 Nov. 2025
The Bobcats have made three state tournament appearances and won the title in all of them, completing a Class 6A trifecta.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Nov. 2025
For her first ever rom-com, Minka Kelly hit the trifecta.
—Leigh Nordstrom, Footwear News, 21 Nov. 2025
These are in addition to the hundreds filed and under consideration from committees prior to the shutdown, not including the major, overarching items like a second reconciliation package, a Farm Bill, the reauthorization of a major defense bill, and other GOP priorities due to the trifecta.
—Rachel Schilke, The Washington Examiner, 15 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trifecta
Cite this Entry
“Trifecta.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trifecta. Accessed 3 Dec. 2025.
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