montage

American  

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

noun

plural

montages

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.

---

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

---

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.

---

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

Benjamin’s “Storm Clouds” cantata would play in Technicolor, not grainy black and white, in a more complex montage.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

In a two-star review the Guardian's Peter Bradshaw said the movie is "rammed with every music-movie cliche" and plays "like a 127-minute trailer montage".

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026

“To the city of Chicago, you showed me real love from day one,” Reese says over a video montage of highlights of her time as a Sky player.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

But the killer was hiding in plain sight – McCullagh was not only at the rally but he had put together a montage of home videos of Natalie, which were displayed on big screens.

From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026

I’ve been rough-cutting shots all morning to create a montage of the time Phil and I spent together.

From "Love, Hate & Other Filters" by Samira Ahmed

Related Words

• patchwork