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

The last of that trio, all pushed out of the show following the decision to oust top producers, was on nearly every week, often crashing a story tied to events that had taken place in the days leading up to broadcast. — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 14 Sep. 2026

The trio assume the mantle from Season 1 stars Joe Cole and Ruth Madeley, and will appear alongside the likes of Rupert Penry-Jones (Spooks), Ian McElhinney (Game of Thrones) and Sally Lindsay (Cold Call). — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 14 Sep. 2026

And yes, the running game eventually broke through — courtesy of fifth-year tailback Wayne Knight and his trio of touchdowns. — Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026

Besides the aforementioned trio, Linn Grant (4-0-0 this week), Nastasia Nadaud (3-1), Nanna Koerstz Madsen (3&2 over Andrea Lee) and Julia López Ramírez (3&2 over Yealimi Noh) all earned full points. — Caoimhe O'Neill, New York Times, 14 Sep. 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