The self-assembly reaction between trivalent lanthanide ions, 2,2':6',2 ''-terpyridine (terpy) ligand, and octacyano-tungstate(V) leads to the formation of two series of isomorphous cyano-bridged compounds: (i) one-dimensional (1-D) chains [Ln(terpy)(DMF)(4)][W(CN)(8)]center dot 6H(2)O center dot C2H5OH (Ln = Ce-Dy) and (ii) dinuclear molecules [Ln(terpy)(DMF)(2)(H2O)(2)][W(CN)(8)]center dot 3H(2)O (Ln = Ho, Er, Yb) and the ionic [Tm-III(terpy)(DMF)(2)(H2O)(3)][W-V(CN)(8)]center dot 4H(2)O-DMF (DMF = N,N-dimethylformamide) system. The crystal structures of 1-D chains consist of alternating {[W(CN)(8)]} and {[Ln(terpy)]} building blocks. The neighboring chains are weakly linked through the pi-pi stacking interactions of the aromatic rings, leading to two-dimensional supramolecular layers. The dinuclear species are weakly linked through the hydrogen bonds between H2O molecules and terminal cyano ligands resulting in a columnlike arrangement of dimers. Taking into account the ligand-field splitting and the exchange interaction, we have estimated the magnetic couplings between the Ln(III) and W-V centers in a series of polycrystalline 1-D chains and in dimeric systems. The corresponding exchange constants have been shown to change the sign along the series of chains. The coupling is antiferromagnetic for 1 (J = -0.24 cm(-1)) and 2 (J = -0.07 cm(-1)), whereas 3 (J = +0.47 cm(-1)), 7 (J = +0.28 cm(-1)), and 8 (J = +0.23 cm(-1)) have ferromagnetic character. In the case of dimeric systems, the coupling constants seem to be independent of the lanthanide center. The splitting structures of the ground-state multiplets of the Ln(III) centers have been shown to explain the temperature dependences of the magnetic susceptibilities.