collage

noun col·lage \ kə-ˈläzh , kȯ- , kō- \

|Updated on: 10 Jun 2018

Examples: collage in a Sentence

Definition of collage

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

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collage

transitive verb

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collagist

play \kə-ˈlä-zhist, kȯ-, kō-\ noun

See collage defined for English-language learners

See collage defined for kids

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 of collage from the Web

Though the kids have different accents and ethnicities, Fullmer's experimental collage serves to highlight the eeriness of their similarities.

— leah pickett, Chicago Reader, "Chicago Underground Film Festival: The Shorts," 5 June 2018
Jonathan posted a collage of photos of JD, Annalee, and two other friends and the beautiful Italian views.

— jennifer aldrich, Country Living, "You Have to See Drew Scott and Linda Phan's Gorgeous Wedding Pictures," 16 May 2018
On sale will be handmade jewelry, vintage jewelry, paintings, photos, collages, pottery, textile purses and more.

— Courant Community, "New Britain Art League To Sponsor Pop-Up Market On May 12," 3 May 2018
Tatum also commemorated the day on Instagram, posting a collage of pictures of himself (and Luyendyk) at the racetrack.

— kayleigh roberts, Marie Claire, "Channing Tatum Spent His First Post-Split Appearance Hanging Out With ‘Bachelor’ Arie Luyendyk Jr.," 23 Apr. 2018
Elsewhere, there are collages, screen prints, and more paintings, an eclectic mix of works all from the mind of the same artist.

— liz ohanesian, Los Angeles Magazine, "This South African Street Artist Moved to L.A. to Explore the Politics of Being Human," 17 Apr. 2018
Pron’s piece, for example, is a large mosaic collage that details his family’s history in Northern Liberties long before the days of Rocky, and focuses on family members the architect lost to suicide, drug abuse, and other issues.

— nick vadala, Philly.com, "'Rocky' as art: Philly gallery explores Italian Stallion in new show," 16 Apr. 2018
The show centers on two of Thomas’s collages, one of which is pictured above.

— mary dellas, The Cut, "An All-Women Art Show Honors Acclaimed Artist Mickalene Thomas," 9 Apr. 2018
But this whirlwind collage of scenes, this anarchic cacophony of a play is that rare theatrical work that lives up to the revolutionary promise of its title.

— lily janiak, San Francisco Chronicle, "Crowded Fire’s gender ‘Revolt’ starts with gerunds and prepositions," 6 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'collage.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of collage

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1919

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

collage Synonyms

Synonyms

agglomerate, agglomeration, assortment, clutter, grab bag, hash, hodgepodge, hotchpotch, jumble, litter, medley, mélange, miscellany, mishmash, mixed bag, motley, muddle, olio, olla podrida, omnium-gatherum, patchwork, potpourri, ragbag, rummage, salmagundi, scramble, shuffle, smorgasbord, tumble, variety, welter;

admixture, alloy, amalgam, blend, combination, commixture, composite, compound, fusion, intermixture, mix-up;

mess, morass, shambles;

Other Fine Arts Terms

Gothic, baroque, bas-relief, limn, oeuvre, pastiche, rococo, sfumato

COLLAGE Defined for English Language Learners

collage

noun

Definition of collage for English Language Learners

: a work of art that is made by attaching pieces of different materials (such as paper, cloth, or wood) to a flat surface
: the art or method of making collages
: a collection of different things