medley

1 of 2

noun

med·​ley ˈmed-lē How to pronounce medley (audio)
plural medleys
1
: a musical composition made up of a series of songs or short pieces
a medley of show tunes
2
: a diverse assortment or mixture
especially : hodgepodge
a medley of sounds
a medley of desserts
was arrested on a medley of charges
3
archaic : melee

medley

2 of 2

adjective

Examples of medley in a Sentence

Noun a medley of show tunes a medley of snack foods available on the buffet table
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
This vibrant dish includes ruby grapefruit, blood orange, and a medley of basil, accented with sumac, roasted pistachios, pearl mozzarella, and watermelon, all dressed in a zesty citrus vinaigrette. Bypayton Kirol, Fortune Well, 1 July 2024 The medley of hits touched on every moment where Usher mesmerized us. Keyaira Boone, Essence, 1 July 2024
Adjective
France’s Leon Marchand, a five-time NCAA champion at Arizona State, swept the 200 and 400 medley titles at the last two World Championships adding a 200 butterfly gold at last summer’s Worlds. Scott M. Reid, Orange County Register, 19 July 2024 Watch the medley performance honoring Usher at the 2024 BET Awards below. Michael Saponara, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019 See all Example Sentences for medley 

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

Noun and Adjective

Middle English medle, from Anglo-French medlee, from feminine of medlé, past participle of medler to mix — more at meddle

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined above

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

Dictionary Entries Near medley

Cite this Entry

“Medley.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/medley. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.

Kids Definition

medley

noun
med·​ley
ˈmed-lē
plural medleys
1
: mixture sense 2
especially : a confused mixture
2
: a musical composition made up of a series of songs or short musical pieces

More from Merriam-Webster on medley

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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