trilogy

noun

tril·​o·​gy ˈtri-lə-jē 

plural trilogies

: a series of three dramas or literary works or sometimes three musical compositions that are closely related and develop a single theme

Did you know?

Dozens of tragic trilogies were written for the Greek stage, though only one, Aeschylus's great Oresteia (consisting of Agamemnon, The Libation Bearers, *and *The Eumenides), has survived complete. Authors in later years have occasionally chosen to create trilogies to allow themselves to develop a highly complex story or cover a long span of time. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings wasn't actually intended as a trilogy, but since it was published in three volumes it's usually called one. George Lucas's three original Star Wars movies are an example of a film trilogy (which he followed many years later by another).

Examples of trilogy in a Sentence

the last book in the trilogy

Recent Examples on the Web

The Alcaraz and Sinner trilogy in major finals began with an epic French Open final that came in at a whopping five hours and 29 minutes. —Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025

The drama film, which premiered in August 2017, is the third movie in Sheridan's trilogy of projects exploring the modern American West, including 2015's Sicario and 2016's Hell or High Water. —Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2025

Anticipated is a trilogy of major design upgrades for the iPhone parceled out over the next three years. —Pueng Vongs, Mercury News, 7 Sep. 2025

Jackson has also proven to be a force on the big screen, with notable roles in films such as Southpaw (2015), Den of Thieves (2018), and Expend4bles (2024), as well as the Escape Plan trilogy (2013–2019). —Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Greek trilogia, from tri- + -logia -logy

First Known Use

circa 1661, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

trilogy

noun

tril·​o·​gy ˈtril-ə-jē 

plural trilogies

: a series of three literary, dramatic, or musical works that are closely related and develop a single theme