Meaning & use
trio
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Meanings
nouncountable
a group of three people, especially musicians, who perform together
Grammar: Countable: you can say a trio or trios.
Patterns
- a trio
- trio of
- play in a trio
The jazz trio played all evening.
She sings in a trio with her two sisters.
A trio of actors took the stage.
nouncountablemusic
a piece of music written for three performers
Grammar: Often used with 'for': a trio for piano, violin, and cello.
Patterns
- a trio for something
- piano trio
He composed a trio for flute, viola, and harp.
The concert ended with a lively trio.
nouncountable
a set of three things of the same kind
Grammar: Used with 'of': a trio of problems.
Patterns
- a trio of something
The report highlighted a trio of issues.
A trio of ducks swam across the pond.
Word forms
| plural | trios |
|---|
Common combinations
- jazz trio
- The jazz trio improvised for an hour.
- piano trio
- She plays in a piano trio.
- a trio of
- A trio of experts reviewed the plan.
- comedy trio
- The comedy trio made everyone laugh.
Synonyms and how they differ
- threesome
- Threesome can mean a group of three, but it often has a sexual meaning, so trio is safer for music or general groups.
- triumvirate
- Triumvirate means a group of three powerful people, especially in politics, and is more formal.
Commonly confused: trio or trio?
trio vs trio
Not to be confused with 'triad', which also means a group of three but is used more in technical or formal contexts.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'trio' correctly?
Choose one answer.
A trio is a group of three, especially musicians, so 'trio of musicians' fits. A trio is not used for apples in that way, and it cannot mean fifty people.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “trio”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.