readymade

American  

[red-ee-mayd] / 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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

readymade

It also carries with it a sort of readymade profundity.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 11, 2025

Up until the 1990s, the readymade garment industry outsourced many tasks to home workers.

From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2024

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

“Listen, hon, I could buy you a readymade dress or two after we get up there. Get’m wholesale.”

From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns

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