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
Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 9 July 2025
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act is on its way to President Donald Trump’s desk after passing the House on Thursday, the conclusion of months of intraparty, cross-chamber negotiations that exposed ideological differences within the GOP trifecta.
—Rachel Schilke, The Washington Examiner, 3 July 2025
Today's report saw a trifecta of positives that should send the labor bears back into hibernation: a drop in the unemployment rate, a solid beat on headline job creation vs. consensus and positive revisions to the prior two months.
—Fred Imbert, CNBC, 3 July 2025
Institutions that nail this trifecta won’t just weather the storm, they’ll be positioned to thrive during the coming renovation surge.
—Mike De Vere, Forbes.com, 27 June 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 Aug. 2025.
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