triptych
noun
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Triptych Has Greek Roots
A painted or carved triptych typically has three hinged panels, and the two outer panels can be folded in towards the central one. A literary or musical triptych generally consists of three closely related or contrasting themes or parts. Triptych derives from the Greek triptychos ("having three folds"), formed by combining tri- ("three") and ptychē ("fold" or "layer"). Although triptych originally described a specific type of Roman writing tablet that had three hinged sections, it is not surprising that the idea was generalized first to a type of painting, and then to anything composed of three parts.
Examples of triptych in a Sentence
David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 31 Aug. 2025
The Mexico City-set triptych starred Gael García Bernal in his breakout role and won the Critics’ Week Award at Cannes Film Festival.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 1 Aug. 2025
In a later scene, as Millie rattles her head against a pebbled glass door, the reds and pinks reminded me of a Francis Bacon triptych.
—Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 31 July 2025
Constructed in the form of a triptych, the movie tells three stories exploring relationships between adult children, their somewhat distant parent (or parents), and each other.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 31 July 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Triptych.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/triptych. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.
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