trio

noun

ˈtrē-(ˌ)ō 

plural trios

1

a

: a musical composition for three voice parts or three instruments

b

: the secondary or episodic division of a minuet or scherzo, a march, or of various dance forms

2

: the performers of a musical or dance trio

3

: a group or set of three

Synonyms of trio

• triad
• trinity
• trilogy
• triumvirate
• triplet

Examples of trio in a Sentence

He plays in a jazz trio.

the band was just a trio of musicians on piano, drums, and saxophone

Recent Examples on the Web

Stringr The launch near where the trio was found is roughly seven miles southwest of a different boat launch, where a car belonging to one of the women was discovered with a window broken out, state police said in a statement Wednesday. — Tim Stelloh, NBC news, 8 Aug. 2026

Orbit was a member of the electronic music trio Torch Song in the early 1980s, releasing three albums on the IRS label before moving into music production, including creating the soundtrack for the 1986 hockey film Youngblood. — Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2026

The trio—Courtney Willis Blair, Sukanya Rajaratnam, and Jessie Washburne-Harris—offered varying reasons for their departures. — News Desk, Artforum, 7 Aug. 2026

The Grammy winner also fills a trio of spaces on the Official Albums Streaming chart. — Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

French, from Italian from tri- (from Latin)

First Known Use

circa 1724, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for trio

• beau
• beaut
• beaux
• blow
• bro
• coe
• crow
• doe
• doh
• dough
• eau
• eaux

Kids Definition

trio

noun

ˈtrē-ō 

plural trios

1

a

: a musical composition for three voices or instruments

b

: the performers of a musical trio

2

: a group or set of three