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.
Synonyms
Examples of trifecta in a Sentence
Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 1 Jan. 2025
These layer cookies include a dessert trifecta of pecan shortbread, homemade caramel, and chocolate ganache.
—Libby Monteith Minor, Southern Living, 29 Dec. 2024
This styling product features a moisturizing trifecta of argan oil, vitamin E, and the brand's proprietary thermal polymer (otherwise known as silicone) to give any hairstyle a smoother, sleeker effect.
—Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 28 Dec. 2024
However, the mid-March deadline sets up a new funding fight that would come in the middle of Trump's first 100 days in office, a crucial time in which the new GOP trifecta in Washington will be pushing to get a massive package of conservative priorities passed.
—Riley Beggin, USA TODAY, 18 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Trifecta.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trifecta. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
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