readymade

American  

[red-ee-meyd] / ˈrɛd iˈmeɪd /

Or ready-made

noun

1. an everyday manufactured object, as a bottle rack, a snow shovel, a urinal, or a comb, that may by the creative act of selection and designation by an artist attain status as a work of art: associated almost exclusively with the aesthetic activities of Marcel Duchamp during the period 1915 to 1917.

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Etymology

Origin of readymade

< French < English; term introduced by Duchamp in 1915

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

readymade

It also carries with it a sort of readymade profundity.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 11, 2025

AI is far from the point where the "push of a button" generates "everything readymade", say Keitan Yadav and Harry Hingorani who run Redchillies.vfx.

From BBC ● Dec. 18, 2023

In Højlund, United has opted against a readymade striker who has already established himself at the top of the sport.

From Washington Times ● Aug. 5, 2023

Such conditions would be ripe for horse race journalism, with its "who's up, who's down" framing — especially since, as Zremski points out, "that's a readymade market" for readers who are interested in politics.

From Salon ● Mar. 18, 2023

With six full suffrage states and two million female voters, there already existed a readymade voting bloc with the potential to influence state and national elections.

From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling