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 of patchwork

• 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

The nation is now blanketed in a patchwork of differing rules as schools struggle to figure out how to regulate generative AI chatbots. — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026

Hassouna and co-editor Denis LePaven pace the chronological patchwork of footage less as a story with a predestined shape, and more as shifting tiles of accumulating losses that the audience can traverse without being too overwhelmed. — Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2026

The decade-long fight — including the defeat of county efforts to keep the sand open to all, flip-flopping state laws and landowner lawsuits — has left beachgoers to navigate a confusing patchwork of beach access. — Debbie Elliott, NPR, 4 Sep. 2026

The clash highlights California’s patchwork gun-zoning laws and Goleta’s history of mass shootings. — Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026

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