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
Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 May 2025
The initial wave of impact and the lingering aftereffects from the Medicaid reforms wouldn’t be felt until after 2028, a consequential presidential year when Trump will be on his way out of the White House, and several House Republicans will have already been reelected twice in the trifecta.
—Rachel Schilke, The Washington Examiner, 15 May 2025
Our Test Kitchen pros said this dessert reminds them of a cross between a German chocolate cake and a praline—the perfect trifecta of flavors.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 14 May 2025
The Republican Party currently has a trifecta with majorities in the House and the Senate and Trump in the White House.
—Oren Oppenheim, ABC News, 5 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 4 Jun. 2025.
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