montage

American  

[mon-tahzh, mawn-tazh] / mɒnˈtɑʒ, mɔ̃ˈtaʒ /

noun

• montages
  plural

1. the technique of combining in a single composition pictorial elements from various sources, as parts of different photographs or fragments of printing, either to give the illusion that the elements belonged together originally or to allow each element to retain its separate identity as a means of adding interest or meaning to the composition.

2. photomontage.

3. Movies, Television.

   1. juxtaposition or partial superimposition of several shots to form a single image.

   2. a technique of film editing in which this is used to present an idea or set of interconnected ideas.

4. any combination of disparate elements that forms or is felt to form a unified whole, single image, etc.

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verb (used with object)

montaged, montaging

1. to make or incorporate into a montage.

montage British  

/ mɔ̃taʒ, mɒnˈtɑːʒ /

noun

1. the art or process of composing pictures by the superimposition or juxtaposition of miscellaneous elements, such as other pictures or photographs

2. such a composition

3. a method of film editing involving the juxtaposition or partial superimposition of several shots to form a single image

4. a rapidly cut film sequence of this kind

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montage Cultural  

1. In art, making one composition by combining parts or the whole of other pictures, objects, or designs. In film, a stylized form of editing that provides a great deal of information in a short time. For example, the passing of years may be rendered by mixing shots of different seasons with shots of calendar pages turning.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• montages
  plural

Etymology

Origin of montage

1920–25; < French, equivalent to mont ( er ) to mount ¹ + -age -age

Explanation

Romantic comedies always seem to include a montage of scenes showing the main characters falling in love while sharing a hot dog, playfully throwing snowballs at each other, and taking a romantic ride on a boat. A montage is a film sequence made up of many short scenes edited together. A montage is a kind of collage, often assembled from many different movie scenes, resulting in a single overall theme or image. You can also make a montage of photographs or music, editing or pasting together various bits to form one continuous whole. In the movie business, the word montage was originally used to mean "edit," the process of cutting and pasting pieces of film together to form a finished product.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

montage montages montaged montaging

The movie projects contempt for the dense from its first frame, sharing a montage of recent pop culture as a stentorian narrator worries that modern conveniences have perverted the concept of survival of the fittest.

From Salon ● Sep. 6, 2026

In its latest post, the Ojai Raptor Center included a video montage of some of Jackie’s milestones in treatment:

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

Many of his projects remain intact, including the ornamental lake he had dug, and a bathroom papered with a montage of original newspaper clippings chronicling major events from the early 20th century.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026

The coffees and lunches and dinners of that season flicker in my mind like a rom-com video montage.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2026

The book’s glossy cover showed a photographic montage of Greek temples and smiling monsters.

From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan

While unedited video feeds of those scenes circulated internationally, prime-time broadcasts within China relied on carefully edited montages, highlighting the wave at the cabin door, formal tarmac greetings and archival handshakes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026

Likewise, Hernandez-Thompson grounds “If I Go” with powerful montages of real residents shot with seemingly no other direction than to pose however they want.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

Something like the average Marvel movie, on the other hand, exists solely as clip montages in fans’ minds.

From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2026

Fan-edited montages of the pair embracing, giggling and jumping into each other's arms are all over social media.

From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026

A series of montages suddenly snapped off the screen to be replaced by the lonesome ship.

From Jack of No Trades by Charles Cottrell

The exhibition opens with multiple images of Marilyn Monroe, cavorting for his camera in 1957 and montaged in a 1994 print.

From New York Times ● May 24, 2023

Mr. Titarenko’s “Nomenclature of Signs” series from the mid-80s, which uses montaged Soviet insignia and architectural details, feels perfectly in keeping with that period’s craze for semiotics and poststructuralism.

From New York Times ● Jun. 1, 2013

Two giant screens at the side of the stage beam out images of fantastic visual trickery, freeze-framing him as he performs, montaging his body against backdrops of atom clouds and Hollywood signs.

From The Guardian ● Sep. 24, 2014

They were montaging their present on to their past.

From The Guardian ● Sep. 21, 2014

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