1
a
: an artistic composition made of various materials (such as paper, cloth, or wood) glued on a surface
cut pictures from magazines to make a collage
b
: a creative work that resembles such a composition in incorporating various materials or elements
the album is a collage of several musical styles
2
: the art of making collages
an artist known for her use of collage
3
: hodgepodge
a collage of ideas
4
: a work (such as a film) having disparate scenes in rapid succession without transitions
collage
transitive verb
Synonyms
- agglomerate
- agglomeration
- alphabet soup
- assortment
- botch
- clutter
- 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 collage in a Sentence
We made collages in art class.
an artist known for her use of collage
The album is a collage of several musical styles.
Recent Examples on the Web
Fragments of her mother’s suicide note serve as collage material; Portrait of the Artist and Her Mother, a large mixed-media work from 1992, actually incorporates a snapshot of her mother’s body in an open casket.
—
Jeremy Lybarger, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2025
Young’s work draws deeply from the elements around him—in his surroundings, through street graffiti, and at his studio in a mostly African-American neighborhood of Miami—organically blending painting, drawing, and collage materials.
—Miguel Sirgado, Miami Herald, 29 Jan. 2025
Anyone who saw Chris McKim’s kinetic 2020 documentary collage about the late David Wojnarowicz more than likely was haunted also by the other ghost very much present in that film, Peter Hujar.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Jan. 2025
Tunney paired her suit with a floral collage shirt buttoned to the top.
—Marissa Muller, WWD, 25 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for collage 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Jeremy Lybarger, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2025
Young’s work draws deeply from the elements around him—in his surroundings, through street graffiti, and at his studio in a mostly African-American neighborhood of Miami—organically blending painting, drawing, and collage materials.
—Miguel Sirgado, Miami Herald, 29 Jan. 2025
Anyone who saw Chris McKim’s kinetic 2020 documentary collage about the late David Wojnarowicz more than likely was haunted also by the other ghost very much present in that film, Peter Hujar.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Jan. 2025
Tunney paired her suit with a floral collage shirt buttoned to the top.
—Marissa Muller, WWD, 25 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for collage
Dictionary Entries Near collage
Cite this Entry
“Collage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/collage. Accessed 8 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
collage
noun
col·lage
kə-ˈläzh 
kȯ-,
kō-
: a work of art made by gluing pieces of different materials to a flat surface
Etymology
from French collage "gluing," from coller "to glue"
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share