motley

1 of 2

adjective

mot·​ley ˈmät-lē How to pronounce motley (audio)
1
: variegated in color
a motley coat
2
: made up of many different people or things
a motley crowd
a motley collection of junk

motley

2 of 2

noun

1
: a woolen fabric of mixed colors made in England between the 14th and 17th centuries
2
: a garment made of motley
especially : the characteristic dress of the professional fool
3
4
: a mixture especially of incongruous elements

Examples of motley in a Sentence

Adjective a motley collection of junk a motley crew of musicians Noun the motleys with their colorful outfits a motley of old junk stored in the attic
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
In those with lactose intolerance, the undisturbed lactose makes its way into the large intestine, where a motley assortment of gut microbes makes eager work of it. Max Bennett, Discover Magazine, 29 Jan. 2024 In the motley list of titles, books on biology intermingle with books about investments, travel, farming, philosophy, atlases and cures for chronic disease. Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Feb. 2024 America is a big, colorful, motley country, but Utah is a storied anomaly. Brian T. Allen, National Review, 20 Jan. 2024 The subject matter is grim, but the tone is motley and irreverent, veering from maudlin realism to campy notes on the camps. The New Yorker, 29 Nov. 2022 Then the trucks turned and, instead of crossing our motley little picket line, roared past the Fox entrance, leaning heavily on their horns in support: HONNNNNK! Joe Otterson, Variety, 21 Nov. 2023 On the right, the mushroom cloud of a bomb looms over swirls of factory smoke, the scene a motley milieu of muddied grays and browns. Angelica Aboulhosn, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Nov. 2023 Pheu Thai, which came in second place, then cobbled together a motley coalition of royalist and establishment parties to secure Srettha the top job thanks to Senate backing. TIME, 11 Oct. 2023 Indeed, a motley coalition is — for better or worse — a necessary result of any truly democratic foray. Becca Rothfeld, Washington Post, 1 Sep. 2023
Noun
Kaan kaan wu, with its motley of melds, is where these two tiles from different suits can be used in a clean-sweeping hand. Rudy Lee, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2023 This made us—with all our human, mortal limitations—rather like the God of all those past centuries of belief, or should that be credulity: the God who retained and stored away everything in his motley, moveless time, in which nothing was new or old, remote or recent. Margaret Jull Costa, Harper’s Magazine , 10 Apr. 2023 Its core remains a mystery, but scientists believe a motley of diffused elements that are heavier than helium are at the very center. María Luisa Paúl, Anchorage Daily News, 19 Dec. 2021 With a total team of 25 today, Schaper is trying to juggle a motley of distribution channels, each with their own unique needs and processes. Esha Chhabra, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2022 His tall, broad-shouldered hunchback stomps around the court in the multi-colored motley teasing his master and his henchmen with seeming good-natured gaiety. Bill Hirschman, sun-sentinel.com, 14 Mar. 2022 My father was a motley of sound, a funk band with bottomless drums and songs that knew nothing of fatigue. David Roderick, SFChronicle.com, 6 July 2018 This motley of topics swirls and eddies and reforms, with exchanges of goofy insults and gossipy asides about whoever happens to be absent from the field at the moment. Ben Brantley, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2016

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'motley.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, perhaps from mot mote, speck

Noun

Middle English, probably from motley entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of motley was in the 14th century

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Dictionary Entries Near motley

Cite this Entry

“Motley.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/motley. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

motley

1 of 2 adjective
mot·​ley ˈmät-lē How to pronounce motley (audio)
1
: having various colors
2
: composed of various often unlike kinds or parts
a motley collection of junk

motley

2 of 2 noun
1
a
: a garment of mixed colors worn by a court jester
2
: a mixture of different elements

Biographical Definition

Motley

biographical name

Mot·​ley ˈmät-lē How to pronounce Motley (audio)
John Lothrop 1814–1877 American historian

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