collage

noun

col·​lage kə-ˈläzh 

kȯ-,

kō-

1

a

: an artistic composition made of various materials (such as paper, cloth, or wood) glued on a surface

cut pictures from magazines to make a collage

b

: a creative work that resembles such a composition in incorporating various materials or elements

the album is a collage of several musical styles

2

: the art of making collages

an artist known for her use of collage

3

: hodgepodge

a collage of ideas

4

: a work (such as a film) having disparate scenes in rapid succession without transitions

collage transitive verb

collagist

kə-ˈlä-zhist 

kȯ-

kō-

noun

Synonyms

• agglomerate
• agglomeration
• alphabet soup
• assortment
• botch
• clutter
• crazy quilt
• farrago
• gallimaufry
• grab bag
• gumbo
• hash
• hodgepodge
• hotchpotch
• jambalaya
• jumble
• jungle
• litter
• macédoine
• medley
• mélange
• menagerie
• miscellanea
• miscellany
• mishmash
• mixed bag
• montage
• motley
• muddle
• olio
• olla podrida
• omnium-gatherum
• pastiche
• patchwork
• patchwork quilt
• potpourri
• ragbag
• ragout
• rummage
• salad
• salmagundi
• scramble
• shuffle
• smorgasbord
• stew
• tumble
• variety
• welter

Examples of collage in a Sentence

We made collages in art class.

an artist known for her use of collage

The album is a collage of several musical styles.

Recent Examples on the Web

The group’s anarchic music was like one of those cartoon fight clouds, with punk, post-punk, industrial, goth, psychedelia, college rock, and collage rock duking it out with old EC Comics, MAD magazines, and the Lone Star proclivity toward general orneriness. —Stephen Deusner, SPIN, 26 Mar. 2024

Most of his dramatic features are put together from disparate pieces—not merely, like most films, scenes held together by plot but collages of sequences touching on many stories and subjects and held together not by the power of ideas. —Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2024

The film uses a collage of 2D animation and family archives to tell the story of a girl who for 15 years suffered abuse at the hands of a priest who was jailed and subsequently set free. —Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 14 Mar. 2024

Her story also included a boomerang of her anniversary flowers and balloon arrangement, as well as a collage of pictures from their wedding. —Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 13 Mar. 2024

Barbie: The World Tour will also include rare images from Mattel’s archives, designer sketches, Polaroid photos and more from Barbie’s whimsical world, all presented in collages by art director Fabien Baron. —Danielle Directo-Meston, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2024

People would visit, and this symbol of the bride’s social circle would prompt conversation, then after the wedding the collage would be taken down and the photographs returned. —Thomas Page, CNN, 1 Mar. 2024

Cut or tear ½-inch to ¾-inch strips of scrapbook paper, ribbon, or any collage material. —Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 26 Feb. 2024

In 2019, Lauryn posted a photo collage on Instagram in celebration of Joshua’s birthday. —Julie Tremaine, Peoplemag, 17 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, gluing, from coller to glue, from colle glue, from Vulgar Latin *colla, from Greek kolla

First Known Use

1919, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

collage

noun

col·​lage kə-ˈläzh 

kȯ-,

kō-

: a work of art made by gluing pieces of different materials to a flat surface

Etymology

from French collage "gluing," from coller "to glue"