collage

American  

[kuh-lahzh, koh-] / kəˈlɑʒ, koʊ- /

noun

1. a technique of composing a work of art by pasting on a single surface various materials not normally associated with one another, as newspaper clippings, parts of photographs, theater tickets, and fragments of an envelope.

2. a work of art produced by this technique.

3. an assemblage or occurrence of diverse elements or fragments in unlikely or unexpected juxtaposition.

   The experimental play is a collage of sudden scene shifts, long monologues, musical interludes, and slapstick.

4. a film that presents a series of seemingly unrelated scenes or images or shifts from one scene or image to another suddenly and without transition.

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verb (used with object)

collaged, collaging

1. to make a collage of.

   The artist has collaged old photos, cartoon figures, and telephone numbers into a unique work of art.

collage British  

/ kɒ-, kɔlaʒ, kəˈlɑːʒ /

noun

1. an art form in which compositions are made out of pieces of paper, cloth, photographs, and other miscellaneous objects, juxtaposed and pasted on a dry ground

2. a composition made in this way

3. any work, such as a piece of music, created by combining unrelated styles

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Other Word Forms

• collagist
  noun

Etymology

Origin of collage

1915–20; < French, equivalent to colle paste, glue (< Greek kólla ) + -age -age

Explanation

Have you ever cut out a bunch of pictures from magazines and pasted them together to make a big picture? If you have, you have made a collage. Collage came to English through French from the Greek word for glue, kolla, about 100 years ago. A collage is not only made from magazine pictures. In the world of fine art, it refers to a work made with various small objects sometimes with paint sometimes without. The word can also be used to mean a collection of different things. If it's very loud in your house, you might come home to a collage of sounds from the dog, the TV, your mom on the phone and your brother on the guitar. Years after you graduate, high school might just seem like a collage of memories.

Example Sentences

Saar’s leather pieces, featured prominently throughout the show, are another example of how in her hands, everyday objects extend beyond any limitations, feeling more like collage than anything else.

From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026

Mauigoa grew up in American Samoa and the 20-year-old paid homage to his homeland with a collage on the back of his suit jacket.

From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026

It’s like making a collage from magazine clippings—the only difference is that the collages are digital and easily shared with anyone, even strangers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026

“We’re learning that lines can be anything and working on this with a family portrait collage project.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 6, 2026

It’s like seeing a collage of the last few days, but stickier.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller