miscellany

noun

mis·​cel·​la·​ny ˈmi-sə-ˌlā-nē 

 chiefly British  mi-ˈse-lə-nē

plural miscellanies

1

a

miscellanies plural : separate writings collected in one volume

b

: a collection of writings on various subjects

2

: a mixture of various things

Synonyms

• agglomerate
• agglomeration
• alphabet soup
• assortment
• botch
• clutter
• collage
• crazy quilt
• farrago
• gallimaufry
• grab bag
• gumbo
• hash
• hodgepodge
• hotchpotch
• jambalaya
• jumble
• jungle
• litter
• macédoine
• medley
• mélange
• menagerie
• miscellanea
• mishmash
• mixed bag
• montage
• motley
• muddle
• olio
• olla podrida
• omnium-gatherum
• pastiche
• patchwork
• patchwork quilt
• potpourri
• ragbag
• ragout
• rummage
• salad
• salmagundi
• scramble
• shuffle
• smorgasbord
• stew
• tumble
• variety
• welter

Examples of miscellany in a Sentence

a miscellany of old toys

the box from the attic contained a miscellany of old records, family photo albums, and long-forgotten love letters

Recent Examples on the Web

Ashmole also tried his hand at poetry, and the miscellany even contains a few of his pieces. —Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Mar. 2025

The long-standing curse of the new-music concert is a tendency toward miscellany. —Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025

To our modern sensibilities, cabinets of curiosities may seem like random miscellanies lacking any real order. —The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 8 Jan. 2025

Yet this long, obscure miscellany turned out to be a garland of little gems. —Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin miscellānea miscellanea, with ending conformed to -y entry 2, perhaps after Middle French miscellanées "miscellaneous writing"

First Known Use

1601, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for miscellany

• allegany
• theophany
• brainy
• cheyney
• grainy
• rainey
• zany

Kids Definition

miscellany

noun

mis·​cel·​la·​ny ˈmis-ə-ˌlā-nē 

plural miscellanies

1

: a mixture of various things

2

: a collection of writings