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 of collage

• jumble
• medley
• variety
• assortment
• montage

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 new space, occupying a compact 323 square feet at 30 Galerie de Montpensier across from the Jardin du Palais Royal, will open on October 18 with an exhibition of work by mixed-media collage artist Deborah Roberts. — News Desk, Artforum, 14 Oct. 2026

The other side of the room has eight of Krasner’s collage paintings, all produced in a sprint in 1955. — Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2026

Nagy continued working as an artist in the years afterward, eventually shedding his austere black-and-white collage aesthetic to make colorful paintings and installations in the ’90s. — Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Stitt points out a photograph of Olney in a hallway near the bathroom, while recalling sharing wine with Lulu Peyraud, the beloved matriarch of the Domaine Tempier wine estate in Provence, among a collage of other French memories. — Leslie Pariseau, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Oct. 2026

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

Rhymes for collage

• barrage
• corsage
• dressage
• garage
• massage
• mirage
• montage
• swaraj
• arbitrage
• camouflage
• entourage
• sabotage

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"