anthology

anthology — noun

1. a single book or recording that gathers together poems, short stories, songs, or

1.nounC1
Definition

a single book or recording that gathers together poems, short stories, songs, or other creative pieces — usually by several different authors or artists, chosen because they share a theme, period, or style.

Example

Ms. Patel asked her students to read three poems from a Victorian anthology.

anthology of [topic/period]

The library has a thick anthology of African short stories on the top shelf.

anthology of + plural noun

Common collocations
  • edit an anthology
  • compile an anthology
  • poetry anthology
  • anthology of short stories
Synonyms
  • collection

    more general; an anthology is specifically a curated literary or artistic collection

  • compilation

    neutral and broad; can cover data or facts, while 'anthology' stays in arts

  • miscellany

    older, formal; emphasises variety more than a shared theme

  • omnibus

    usually one author's complete works in a single volume, not a curated selection

Grammar Patterns

anthology of + plural noun

Usage Note

Subject of the collection is normally introduced with 'of' (an anthology of poems / essays / horror films). Most often used for written works, but can extend to music, film, and other arts when the contents are gathered into one volume or release.

Common Mistakes

I read an anthology about cooking.
I read a cookbook about cooking.
an anthology is a curated collection of creative pieces, not a how-to guide.
She wrote an anthology of her own poems.
She published a collection of her own poems.
'anthology' usually implies works by different authors, though single-author anthologies exist.

Word family

  • anthologise
    verbC2
  • anthologist
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe several pieces brought together, but the angle differs. 'Collection' is the broadest and plainest — any set of items gathered for any reason ('a collection of stamps', 'a collection of essays'). 'Anthology' is narrower: it points to a curated literary or artistic selection, often by different authors, chosen around a shared theme, period, or genre, as in 'an anthology of war poems'. 'Compilation' sounds more mechanical, focusing on the act of putting items together, and is common with songs, data, or facts ('a compilation album'). 'Omnibus' usually means several long works by ONE author bound into a single volume — 'a Sherlock Holmes omnibus'. So you might buy a Tolkien omnibus, but an anthology of fantasy short stories from twenty different writers.

anthology ↗collection ↗compilationomnibus

Common collocations

Nouns

  • poetry anthology
  • short story anthology
  • horror anthology

Phrases

  • edit an anthology
  • compile an anthology
  • appear in an anthology

Prepositions

  • anthology of

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

Comes from Greek 'anthologia', literally 'a gathering of flowers', from 'anthos' (flower) and 'legein' (to pick or gather). Ancient Greek scholars used the image of plucking the prettiest flowers to describe the act of selecting the finest short poems and arranging them in one book. The word travelled through Latin and French into English in the 1600s, keeping the same idea: a careful pick of the best pieces.