triptych

noun

trip·​tych ˈtrip-(ˌ)tik 

1

a

: a picture (such as an altarpiece) or carving in three panels side by side

b

: something composed or presented in three parts or sections

especially : trilogy

2

: an ancient Roman writing tablet with three waxed leaves hinged together

Did you know?

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

Recent Examples on the Web

Apparently Hungarian director Kornél Mundruczó intends his latest film, At the Sea, to be the middle part of a loose triptych that began with 2020’s Pieces of a Woman which earned star Vanessa Kirby an Oscar nomination, and the upcoming A Place to Be with Ellen Burstyn and Pamela Anderson. —Pete Hammond, Deadline, 16 Feb. 2026

But a triptych of photographs that were released last month, showing Andrew apparently on the floor of Epstein’s New York town house, have a terrible directness. —Sam Knight, New Yorker, 16 Feb. 2026

In the centerpiece of the show, a 12-foot-wide triptych titled The Mind in the Cave, the boundaries between mind and matter — experience and reality — become blurred, as expressive whirls and blobs spread across the cave surface. —Benjamin Lima special Contributor, Dallas Morning News, 28 Jan. 2026

In Atlanta, the SCAD FASH exhibition features some 75 looks, including ephemera from André’s home and rare archival photographs — arranged in a triptych of time and tone of red, white and black. —Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 13 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Greek triptychos having three folds, from tri- + ptychē fold

First Known Use

1731, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for triptych

• cryptic
• diptych
• styptic
• tryptic
• apocalyptic
• ecliptic
• elliptic

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