trilogy

noun

tril·​o·​gy ˈtri-lə-jē 

plural trilogies

: a series of three dramas or literary works or sometimes three musical compositions that are closely related and develop a single theme

Did you know?

Dozens of tragic trilogies were written for the Greek stage, though only one, Aeschylus's great Oresteia (consisting of Agamemnon, The Libation Bearers, *and *The Eumenides), has survived complete. Authors in later years have occasionally chosen to create trilogies to allow themselves to develop a highly complex story or cover a long span of time. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings wasn't actually intended as a trilogy, but since it was published in three volumes it's usually called one. George Lucas's three original Star Wars movies are an example of a film trilogy (which he followed many years later by another).

Examples of trilogy in a Sentence

the last book in the trilogy

Recent Examples on the Web

Paddington in Peru was successfully released, garnering 170 million dollars in global box office to date, bringing the total box office for the Paddington trilogy franchise close to $700 million, paving the way for new movies, series, stage shows and immersive experiences. —Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Mar. 2025

Mel Gibson led the original trilogy created by Miller and Byron Kennedy, which includes Mad Max (1979), Mad Max 2 (1981) and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985). —Glenn Garner, Deadline, 2 Mar. 2025

Kwan’s trilogy consists of three books — Crazy Rich Asians, which was released in 2013, followed by 2015’s China Rich Girlfriend and 2017’s Rich People Problems. —Andy Swift, TVLine, 28 Feb. 2025

Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi retain those titles officially, while the sequel trilogy go by Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and Star Wars: The One Where the Emperor Is Alive. —Joe Reid, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Greek trilogia, from tri- + -logia -logy

First Known Use

circa 1661, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

trilogy

noun

tril·​o·​gy ˈtril-ə-jē 

plural trilogies

: a series of three literary, dramatic, or musical works that are closely related and develop a single theme