patchwork

noun

patch·​work ˈpach-ˌwərk 

often attributive

1

: something composed of miscellaneous or incongruous parts : hodgepodge

2

: pieces of cloth of various colors and shapes sewn together to form a covering

also : something resembling such a covering

a patchwork of fields

Illustration of patchwork

• patchwork 2

Synonyms

• jumble
• medley
• variety
• assortment
• collage
• hodgepodge
• mishmash

Examples of patchwork in a Sentence

The valley is a patchwork of family farms.

A patchwork of laws prevent the land from being developed.

a patchwork system of laws

Recent Examples on the Web

By 1948, decades of patchwork repairs, design flaws and war damage left the mansion structurally unsound, according to the White House Historical Association. —Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025

Rather, this 31-year-old institution in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, is a patchwork monument to creativity. —Tim Chester, AFAR Media, 22 Oct. 2025

Sharland England’s catalog is the sort of thing Peter Rabbit himself might flip through to find a new heritage bed, a patchwork winter quilt, or a splatter cake stand for carrot cake. —Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 21 Oct. 2025

The outage this week reflects the inevitability of holes in the cybersecurity patchwork that safeguards people’s digital lives, Liao said, but the priority should be how best to protect the internet. —Max Zahn, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1634, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing patchwork

• patchwork quilt

Rhymes for patchwork

• artwork
• beadwork
• berserk
• breastwork
• brickwork
• brushwork
• casework
• classwork
• clockwork
• coursework
• ductwork
• earthwork

Kids Definition

patchwork

noun

patch·​work ˈpach-ˌwərk 

1

: something made up of various parts

2

: pieces of cloth of various colors and shapes sewn together usually in a pattern

patchwork adjective