anthology
an-THOL-uh-jee
/ænˈθɒl.ə.dʒi/
A published collection of poems, stories, essays, or other writings, often unified by a theme or compiled by an editor.
Emphasizes a curated gathering of multiple separate works by one or various authors.
The story behind the word. Literally translating from Greek as 'a gathering of flowers' ('anthos' = flower, 'logia' = collection). Ancient Greeks called collections of prized epigrams and poems 'garlands' or 'bouquets' of literature, poetic imagery that survives directly in our word today.
Word relationships
- compilation: 'Compilation' applies broadly to data, music, or texts, while 'anthology' is specifically literary or artistic.
- omnibus: An omnibus usually collects complete prior books by a single author into one volume.
- monograph: A monograph is a detailed scholarly book on a single specialized topic by one author.
Commonly confused with
- archaeology: Archaeology is the study of human history through artifacts, whereas an anthology is a curated collection of literary texts.
Word family
- anthologist (noun): A person who compiles an anthology.
- anthologize (verb): To collect into or publish in an anthology.
Collocations
- poetry anthology
- edited anthology
- anthology series
- literary anthology
Example sentences
- "The professor assigned an anthology of Victorian poetry for the upcoming semester." Education
- "She contributed a sci-fi short story to an award-winning anthology featuring modern writers." Publishing
Memory hook
AN TH OLOGY = Gathering AN THousand literary flowers. A bouquet of chosen literary flowers.
When not to use
Do not call a single multi-chapter story by one author an anthology; that is a novel.
Fun facts
- The earliest known anthology was compiled around 100 BCE by Meleager of Gadara, titled 'The Garland'.
Also appears in
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.