triptych
noun
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Triptych Has Greek Roots
A painted or carved triptych typically has three hinged panels, and the two outer panels can be folded in towards the central one. A literary or musical triptych generally consists of three closely related or contrasting themes or parts. Triptych derives from the Greek triptychos ("having three folds"), formed by combining tri- ("three") and ptychē ("fold" or "layer"). Although triptych originally described a specific type of Roman writing tablet that had three hinged sections, it is not surprising that the idea was generalized first to a type of painting, and then to anything composed of three parts.
Examples of triptych in a Sentence
Arya Roshanian, The New York Review of Books, 6 June 2026
In a small room devoted to his work, the artist presents a triptych of South Park playsets centered around the theme of Tax Day, a motif reflecting the exhibition’s April 15 opening date.
—Theo Belci, Artforum, 2 June 2026
Three screens arranged like a triptych at the altar display live video streams of the monumental vessels currently in Chan’s workshop in China.
—Anthony Demarco, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026
Told with exacting restraint yet as layered as the lacquer on an ebony Biedermeier console, this forms a loose triptych with Pawlikowski’s last two features, Ida and Cold War, both of which were set at least partly behind the Iron Curtain.
—Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for triptych
Cite this Entry
“Triptych.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/triptych. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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