anthology

noun

an·​thol·​o·​gy an-ˈthä-lə-jē 

plural anthologies

1

: a collection of selected literary pieces or passages or works of art or music

an anthology of American poetry

2

: assortment

… an anthology of threadbare clichés of … bistro cuisine …

—Jay Jacobs

anthological

ˌan(t)-thə-ˈlä-ji-kəl 

adjective

Synonyms

• album
• collectanea
• compendium
• compilation
• florilegium
• miscellany
• reader

Examples of anthology in a Sentence

an anthology of American poetry

The band will be releasing an anthology of their earlier albums.

Recent Examples on the Web

At the very top of this list, somehow surpassing both The Acolyte and The Rings Of Power, is the Emmy-winning fourth installment of HBO’s once-great anthology series, True Detective. —Erik Kain, Forbes, 25 Dec. 2024

To honor that marker, there will be special issues, two new anthologies, a film festival, an exhibition of New Yorker art and archive materials. —David Remnick, The New Yorker, 19 Dec. 2024

Parasite star Song Kang-Ho has signed on to the Season 2 cast of Netflix anthology series Beef as a guest star, joining previously announced Carey Mulligan, Oscar Isaac, Charles Melton, Cailee Spaeny and Youn Yuh-jung. —Denise Petski, Deadline, 19 Dec. 2024

The anthology recounts the story of the 1986 album, tunes that will be played during the upcoming tour's mid-show interlude. —Audrey Gibbs, The Tennessean, 10 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French & New Latin; French anthologie, going back to Middle French, borrowed from New Latin anthologia, borrowed from Greek anthología "gathering of flowers," from anthológos "flower-gathering" (from antho- antho- + -logos, nominal ablaut derivative of légein "to gather, collect") + -ia -ia entry 1 — more at legend

Note: The sense "collection of extracts" is found earlier in the parallel formation anthológion, attested in Byzantine Greek.

First Known Use

1624, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

anthology

noun

an·​thol·​o·​gy an-ˈthäl-ə-jē 

plural anthologies

: a collection of literary pieces

anthologist

-jəst

noun