collage

noun

col·​lage kə-ˈläzh How to pronounce collage (audio)
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 How to pronounce collage (audio)
kȯ-
kō-
noun

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 Each tarot card, a blend of generative AI, digital painting and collage was our way of exploring this new frontier — a kind of roadmap for navigating the beautiful yet complex relationship between humans and machines. Jennifer Sodini, Rolling Stone, 11 Mar. 2024 The songs collage together scenes and observations amid country-rock arrangements that glimmer with reverb and feature loose, lassoing guitar solos. Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 23 Feb. 2024 The upheaval of gentrification is a theme of many of the pieces, which include paintings and collages as well as 3D assemblages. Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 26 Jan. 2024 Exhibition is a loose examination of collage strategies and techniques across a range of media. Luann Gibbs, The Enquirer, 21 Jan. 2024 The freeway was a dangerous, kinetic collage of spinning wheels and whirling, sparking hubcaps. Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 4 Jan. 2024 Sandoval worked across a range of media, producing paintings, prints, collages, mail art, graphic design and ceramics — often emblazoned with recurring symbols and logos. Carolina A. Miranda, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2024 The works by 77 local students ranging in age from 9 to 18 years old include photography, mixed media and collages. David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Dec. 2023 Part of what these shows provide to gay men of my generation is the imagery of intimacy formerly available only as pornography, or as desperate collages of underwear ads, cereal box athletes and nasty subplots in homophobic movies. Jesse Green, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'collage.' 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

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of collage was in 1919

Dictionary Entries Near collage

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

collage

noun
col·​lage kə-ˈläzh How to pronounce collage (audio)
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"

More from Merriam-Webster on collage

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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