miscellaneous
Americanadjective
-
consisting of members or elements of different kinds; of mixed character.
a book of miscellaneous essays on American history.
- Synonyms:
- diversified, heterogeneous, varied, divers
-
having various qualities, aspects, or subjects.
a miscellaneous discussion.
adjective
-
composed of or containing a variety of things; mixed; varied
-
having varied capabilities, sides, etc
Related Words
Miscellaneous, indiscriminate, promiscuous refer to mixture and lack of order, and may imply lack of discernment or taste. Miscellaneous emphasizes the idea of the mixture of things of different kinds or natures: a miscellaneous assortment of furniture. Indiscriminate emphasizes lack of discrimination in choice (and consequent confusion): indiscriminate praise. Promiscuous is even stronger than indiscriminate in its emphasis of complete absence of discrimination: promiscuous in his friendships.
Other Word Forms
- miscellaneously adverb
- miscellaneousness noun
Etymology
Origin of miscellaneous
1630–40; from Latin miscellāneus “mixed, of all sorts,” equivalent to miscell(us) “mixed” + -ān(us) -an + -eus -eous
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Though she’s skilled at painting and photography, she’s most widely known for assemblage, the art of juxtaposing miscellaneous items to form a single cohesive work.
From Los Angeles Times
In the darkness, the other kids were mostly miscellaneous blobs, but Jonah could pick out Katherine’s bright orange jacket in the middle of a huge cluster of kids.
From Literature
The only segment to record weakened sales in November was sporting goods, hobby, musical instrument, book, and miscellaneous retailing, the data agency said.
The retired investment banker lived most of his life in Hong Kong and was famous in the territory for the Webb-site, a comprehensive online repository for corporate records and miscellaneous government data.
Alternatively, couples might resolve to establish “yours,” “mine” and “ours” bank accounts where the joint account is used for monthly expenses with a budget that may or may not include miscellaneous activities.
From MarketWatch
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
