mélange

noun

mé·​lange mā-ˈlänj  mā-ˈläⁿzh 

: a mixture often of incongruous elements

a mélange of architectural styles

Did you know?

Mélange got mixed into the melting pot of English back in the 1600s. It derives from the Middle French verb mesler, which means "to mix." "Mélange" is actually one of several French contributions to the English body of words for miscellaneous mixtures. "Pastiche" (meaning "a composition made up of selections of different works," or broadly, "a disorderly mixture, hodgepodge") is borrowed from French, and "medley" and "potpourri" have roots in French, too. There's also the lesser known "gallimaufry" (meaning "hodgepodge"), which comes from the Middle French galimafree (meaning "stew").

Synonyms of mélange

• medley
• jumble
• collage
• variety

Examples of mélange in a Sentence

a mélange of colors and shapes

a mélange of architectural styles

Recent Examples on the Web

Meanwhile, the big and bold King of the Road is a seamless melange of Scotch, citrus amaro, lemon, tamarind, date, and absinthe. — Virginia Miller, Bon Appetit Magazine, 8 June 2026

Apples can be the star of savory dishes just as well as sweet ones—the proof is in this sheet pan melange of hearty ingredients. — Better Homes & Gardens, 3 June 2026

Full-on gold with an oversized melange of jewels dangling from them. — Essence, 5 May 2026

The farmers—many barefoot, carrying a melange of machetes, spears, and old guns—lay in wait. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 4 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French, "act of mixing, mixture," going back to Middle French meslinges, meslanges (plural), from mesler, meler "to mix" + -ange, deverbal action noun suffix (as in Old French loange "praise," vuidange "emptying, outlet"), borrowed from Old Low Franconian *-inga-, *-unga-, going back to Germanic *-ingō, *-ungō — more at meddle, -ing entry 1

First Known Use

1653, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

mélange

noun

mé·​lange mā-ˈlänzh  -ˈlänj 

: a mixture often of dissimilar elements