polyptych

This term is primarily used in art history and ecclesiastical contexts to describe complex altarpieces. It is distinguished from a diptych (two panels) and a triptych (three panels) by the requirement of having four or more panels. The structural nature of the work often implies a narrative sequence or a hierarchy of imagery, where the central panel is the primary focus and the side wings provide supporting details.

Because it refers to a specific physical object of art, it is used in formal descriptions of museum collections or architectural surveys of churches. It is rarely encountered in casual conversation and carries a scholarly, technical register.