collage

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

|Updated on: 8 Jul 2018

Examples: collage in a Sentence

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

Smith works across media, typically in combinations of painting, sculpture, collage and installation.

— leah ollman, latimes.com, "In Shinique Smith's 'Refuge,' bits of past make for a compelling present," 3 July 2018
Their works include paintings in oil, acrylic and watercolor, photographs, prints, collages, mixed media and pastels.

— staff report, Post-Tribune, "Community news," 3 July 2018
The first post in the series is a video collage, featuring several pictures of Bey killing it in her Zimmerman pink paisley ensemble.

— kayleigh roberts, Marie Claire, "Beyoncé Had an Impromptu Photo Shoot on Her Private Jet," 1 July 2018
Cards and collages line the entryway to the Hilinski family’s home in Irvine, Calif., everything signed with My deepest condolences and promises of prayers.

— greg bishop, SI.com, "A College QB's Suicide. A Family's Search for Answers.," 26 June 2018
Whannell steals from so many different movies—and does it so cheerfully—that Upgrade stops feeling derivative and starts looking like a collage, with the recycled elements forming a new sensibility.

— ben sachs, Chicago Reader, "Upgrade is so derivative, it’s original," 14 June 2018
Simpson’s work is distinctive, the patterns of her photography and collages often immediately recognizable.

— hannah giorgis, The Atlantic, "Lorna Simpson Maps the Complex Galaxies of Black Women’s Hair," 10 June 2018
Among the objects visitors can create: Flower brooches, reflective handheld sculptures and fashion collages.

— molly glentzer, Houston Chronicle, "It’s party time at the Glassell School of Art," 16 May 2018
But then, earlier this evening, confirmation of multiple palettes came this evening when @trendmood1 posted a follow-up collage of four new palettes and their swatches.

— marci robin, Allure, "Morphe Teased Its New Jaclyn Hill Palettes Launching This Month," 11 June 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

: 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