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.
So different from the miscellaneous giggles and smiles she had learned to be content with these past few years.
From Literature
He gets paid about fifty-three cents a day, which he can use at the prison commissary to buy toothpaste, snacks, stamps, and other miscellaneous items.
From Literature
—Well, except for the miscellaneous Band-Aids, I’d say you look pretty good, considering.
From Literature
In the window there were trays of nuts and bolts, worn-out chisels, penknives with broken blades, tarnished watches that did not even pretend to be in going order, and other miscellaneous rubbish.
From Literature
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
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.
