trifecta
noun
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Where does trifecta come from?
Trifecta is a recent addition to the English language. It first appeared in the early 1970s as a term for a horse-racing bet in which the first, second, and third place finishers are chosen in the correct order.
The word has since broadened in meaning: it can now also refer to a group of three (usually desirable) things (such as “the trifecta of curing cancer, ending hunger, and putting an end to war"). It is found in everything from advertisements to media company names to casual speech.
Trifecta combines the prefix tri- (meaning “three”) with the last element in perfecta, a word of American Spanish origin that refers to a horse-racing bet in which the first- and second-place finishers are chosen correctly.
Examples of trifecta in a Sentence
Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 5 June 2025
Gilgeous-Alexander is looking to complete the trifecta of winning the regular season NBA MVP Award, Finals MVP Award, and the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy all in the same season.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 June 2025
Ariana Grande, Drake, Taylor Swift Ariana Grande completed the trifecta in 2019 for just a single frame when her album Positions arrived, becoming the first star since The Beatles to do so.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 1 June 2025
For nearly 30 years, the Mission: Impossible franchise has managed to take the bare-bone elements of spy thrillers, summer blockbusters and the classic screen trifecta of thrills, spills and chills, and supersize them for maximum adrenaline fixes.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for trifecta
Cite this Entry
“Trifecta.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trifecta. Accessed 14 Jun. 2025.
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