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
Erin Gifford, Southern Living, 12 Oct. 2025
In Detroit, Cal Raleigh bookended a trifecta of Mariner homers in Seattle’s convincing 8-4 win over the Tigers.
—Chris Branch, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
The imbalance reflects Democratic bullishness about reclaiming the Senate in 2026 as the party hopes to break the Republican trifecta.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 6 Oct. 2025
December 4 will conclude 2025’s supermoon trifecta.
—Stephanie Vermillion, Outside, 1 Oct. 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 18 Oct. 2025.
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