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 trilogy concludes on July 22, 2028, when totality sweeps across Australia and New Zealand. — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026

Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Dominic Monaghan, and Billy Boyd — who played hobbits in the original trilogy — posed for a rare photo, 23 years after their last film together. — Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Aug. 2026

While the foursome’s rise to fame skyrocketed after their roles in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Astin admitted to The Guardian last month that the back-to-back films didn’t necessarily help their wallets. — Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 8 Aug. 2026

As Matt Reeves is hard at work in Gotham City, James Gunn is quelling some overeager fans about the timeline of the Batman trilogy. — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 6 Aug. 2026

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