assortment

noun

as·​sort·​ment ə-ˈsȯrt-mənt 

1

a

: the act of assorting

b

: the state of being assorted

2

: a collection of assorted things or persons

Synonyms

• agglomerate
• agglomeration
• alphabet soup
• botch
• clutter
• collage
• crazy quilt
• farrago
• gallimaufry
• grab bag
• gumbo
• hash
• hodgepodge
• hotchpotch
• jambalaya
• jumble
• jungle
• litter
• macédoine
• medley
• mélange
• menagerie
• miscellanea
• miscellany
• 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 assortment in a Sentence

The book has a wonderful assortment of characters.

You can choose from a wide assortment of options.

Recent Examples on the Web

The entire assortment was donated by Burkhard Pohl, a Swiss-German collector who maintains one of the world’s largest collections of fossils. —Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 May 2024

With sightings also being reported in United Kingdom, Austria, Germany and beyond, people around the planet have continued to share their own pictures to social media — from beautiful purple and pink hues in Chippewa Falls to an assortment of greens and reds over in Ohio. —Brenton Blanchet, Peoplemag, 11 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing assortment

• independent assortment
• law of independent assortment

Kids Definition

assortment

noun

as·​sort·​ment ə-ˈsȯ(ə)rt-mənt 

1

a

: arrangement in classes

b

: the quality or state of being made up of various kinds

2

: a collection of different things or persons

Medical Definition

assortment

see independent assortment