triptych
noun
Did you know?
Triptych Has Greek Roots
A painted or carved triptych typically has three hinged panels, and the two outer panels can be folded in towards the central one. A literary or musical triptych generally consists of three closely related or contrasting themes or parts. Triptych derives from the Greek triptychos ("having three folds"), formed by combining tri- ("three") and ptychē ("fold" or "layer"). Although triptych originally described a specific type of Roman writing tablet that had three hinged sections, it is not surprising that the idea was generalized first to a type of painting, and then to anything composed of three parts.
Examples of triptych in a Sentence
Leila Latif, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025
Instead, what makes the triptych of thematically connected snapshots memorable is its deftly unfussy observation of the unknowability that can endure among people who share the same bloodlines.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 31 Aug. 2025
Built as a triptych, the movie is playing in competition — a first for Jarmusch whose Coffee and Cigarettes was here on the Lido out of competition in 2003.
—Nada Aboul Kheir, Deadline, 31 Aug. 2025
The Mexico City-set triptych starred Gael García Bernal in his breakout role and won the Critics’ Week Award at Cannes Film Festival.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 1 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for triptych
Cite this Entry
“Triptych.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/triptych. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
Copy Citation
Share