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 Dolphins’ failures to defend the run come in large part due to the then-trio of rookie defensive tackles – Kenneth Grant, Jordan Phillips and Zeek Biggers – that the team relied upon heavily. — Miami Herald, 25 July 2026

Tampa, New York and Philadelphia will host Phil Parkinson’s side, who flew across the Atlantic on Wednesday for a trip featuring a trio of friendlies against Premier League opposition — Leeds United, Liverpool and Sunderland. — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 24 July 2026

Although braids wind their way into many different areas of science, from protein folding to string theory, simply cracking the century-old case was enough of a reward for the trio. — Lyndie Chiou, Scientific American, 24 July 2026

One of the hottest items is a trio of Pops based on the DC’s wildly successful Absolute line, which reinvents Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman. — Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 24 July 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