plural trios
1
a
: a musical composition for three voice parts or three instruments
b
: the secondary or episodic division of a minuet or scherzo, a march, or of various dance forms
2
: the performers of a musical or dance trio
3
: a group or set of three

Examples of trio in a Sentence

He plays in a jazz trio. the band was just a trio of musicians on piano, drums, and saxophone
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Even more notably, all of the band’s current wins appear inside the highest half of the list, as the rockers rack up a trio of top five bestsellers. Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025 That record marked their first full-length album since 2013’s Mosquito, with the trio pursuing solo albums and other projects in the intervening years. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 11 Mar. 2025 Florida boasts imposing size and depth alongside a trio of high-scoring guards. William Lambers, Newsweek, 10 Mar. 2025 The Bulls still were missing starters Nikola Vučević (calf) and Lonzo Ball (wrist) in addition to Patrick Williams (knee), a trio that is expected to return within the next week. Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 9 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for trio

Word History

Etymology

French, from Italian from tri- (from Latin)

First Known Use

circa 1724, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of trio was circa 1724

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Trio.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trio. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

trio

noun
plural trios
1
a
: a musical composition for three voices or instruments
b
: the performers of a musical trio
2
: a group or set of three

More from Merriam-Webster on trio

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!