anthology

noun

an·​thol·​o·​gy an-ˈthä-lə-jē How to pronounce anthology (audio)
plural anthologies
Synonyms of anthology
1
: a collection of selected literary pieces or passages or works of art or music
an anthology of American poetry
2
: assortment
… an anthology of threadbare clichés of … bistro cuisine …—Jay Jacobs
anthological
ˌan(t)-thə-ˈlä-ji-kəl How to pronounce anthology (audio)
adjective

Synonyms of anthology

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Examples of anthology in a Sentence

an anthology of American poetry The band will be releasing an anthology of their earlier albums.
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.
According to Ryan Murphy, another season that brings together so many of the horror anthology’s returning stars likely won’t happen again. — Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026 Originally conceived by Bloody Disgusting co-founder Brad Miska, the anthology series has survived a small carousel of distributors, an explosive streaming-era revival, and most recently, the addition of a new financial partner. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 8 Oct. 2026 The anthology presents a unique opportunity to showcase talent still vastly underrepresented on screen and within the horror genre. — Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026 The first season of what is apparently an anthology series follows a high-stakes divorce case between a tech mogul played by Dominic West and a movie star played by Sienna Miller. — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for anthology

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French & New Latin; French anthologie, going back to Middle French, borrowed from New Latin anthologia, borrowed from Greek anthología "gathering of flowers," from anthológos "flower-gathering" (from antho- antho- + -logos, nominal ablaut derivative of légein "to gather, collect") + -ia -ia entry 1 — more at legend

Note: The sense "collection of extracts" is found earlier in the parallel formation anthológion, attested in Byzantine Greek.

First Known Use

1624, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of anthology was in 1624

Rhymes for anthology

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Browse Nearby Words

anthologize
anthology
antholysis
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Cite this Entry

“Anthology.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anthology. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

anthology

noun
an·​thol·​o·​gy an-ˈthäl-ə-jē How to pronounce anthology (audio)
plural anthologies
: a collection of literary pieces
anthologist
-jəst
noun
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