trifecta
/traɪˈfɛktə/
noun
Origin
English
tri- + perfecta — three + perfect/completed
Overview
Meaning Now
- A form of bet in horse racing where the bettor must predict the first, second, and third-place finishers in the correct order.
- A group or set of three, especially three successful or desirable things occurring together.
Literal older meaning
three-fold victory
Language path
Latin → English
Earliest form
trifecta
Earliest period
1950s
Journey
The term originated in the mid-20th century within the context of parimutuel betting. It was designed to add excitement to horse racing by requiring higher-difficulty predictions, and subsequently entered common parlance to describe any trio of significant achievements or events.
Evolution
- Latin
tri- + perfectus
“three + completed”
- 1950s English
trifecta
“A specific wager requiring the prediction of top three finishers.”
Coined as a blend of 'tri-' and 'perfecta'.
- Modern English
trifecta
“Any set or combination of three.”
Connections
Word parts
tri-
prefix
three
-fecta
stem
completed or perfect (from Latin perfecta)
Related across languages
Latin
perfectus
completed
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Related to trifecta
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.