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

• 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

American Love Story is the latest in Murphy’s American Story anthology series, following American Horror Story, American Crime Story and American Sports Story. —Meredith Kile, People.com, 19 June 2025

June 17, 2025 HBO’s buzzy, satirical murder dramedy (rich-people mystery anthology? —Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 17 June 2025

The anthology film follows three human warriors in history – a Viking warrior woman, a ninja in feudal Japan and a World War II ace – being stalked as prey by alien hunters with high-tech weaponry and a mean streak. —Brian Truitt, USA Today, 14 June 2025

The new movie capitalizes on Prey’s proof of concept about Predators into different time periods, using a four-part anthology approach for its own eras tour. —Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 13 June 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