anthology

noun

an·​thol·​o·​gy an-ˈthä-lə-jē 

plural anthologies

1

: a collection of selected literary pieces or passages or works of art or music

an anthology of American poetry

2

: assortment

… an anthology of threadbare clichés of … bistro cuisine …

—Jay Jacobs

anthological

ˌan(t)-thə-ˈlä-ji-kəl 

adjective

Synonyms of anthology

• compilation

Examples of anthology in a Sentence

an anthology of American poetry

The band will be releasing an anthology of their earlier albums.

Recent Examples on the Web

Mileti and Wilson penned the fourth season of FX anthology series Fargo and wrote and worked as consulting producers on the network’s Snowfall. —Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 7 Nov. 2025

The anthology’s first volume explores themes of ancestral sin, family, piety and consequence. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 5 Nov. 2025

Unlike Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World or Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn, though, Dracula lacks a true lead character—an effect of the film’s anthology format that ultimately cedes space to Jude’s AI imagery. —Andy Crump, Time, 31 Oct. 2025

Harrelson and McConaughey starred in the first season of the HBO anthology series in 2014. —Sydney Bucksbaum, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French & New Latin; French anthologie, going back to Middle French, borrowed from New Latin anthologia, borrowed from Greek anthología "gathering of flowers," from anthológos "flower-gathering" (from antho- antho- + -logos, nominal ablaut derivative of légein "to gather, collect") + -ia -ia entry 1 — more at legend

Note: The sense "collection of extracts" is found earlier in the parallel formation anthológion, attested in Byzantine Greek.

First Known Use

1624, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for anthology

• apology
• astrology
• biology
• christology
• chronology
• conchology
• cosmology
• cryptology
• cytology
• doxology
• ecology
• ethnology

Kids Definition

anthology

noun

an·​thol·​o·​gy an-ˈthäl-ə-jē 

plural anthologies

: a collection of literary pieces

anthologist

-jəst

noun