collage

collage — noun

1. a type of visual art built by gluing different items — for instance, newspaper c

1.nounB1
Definition

a type of visual art built by gluing different items — for instance, newspaper clippings, fabric scraps, or photos — onto a solid backing; also the method of making works in this style.

Example

For her school project, Priya made a collage of magazine pictures about ocean pollution.

collocation: make a collage

The art teacher showed the class how to build a collage using dried leaves and old newspapers.

collocation: build a collage

Common collocations
  • make a collage
  • create a collage
  • paper collage
  • photo collage
  • digital collage
  • collage artist
Synonyms
  • montage

    often used for photographic or film-based works where images are layered or shown in quick sequence

  • mosaic

    made of small stone or glass pieces set in cement; a different technique from collage

  • assemblage

    a three-dimensional artwork built from found objects, similar to collage but not flat

Grammar Patterns

a collage (countable) — one finished artwork

collage (uncountable) — the technique or medium

make/create/build a collage

Usage Note

Collage is countable (a finished artwork) when referring to a specific picture, and uncountable (the technique) when talking about the method in general: 'She studied collage in her second year at art school.'

Common Mistakes

I drew a collage.
I made a collage.
You assemble a collage by gluing or attaching materials; you do not draw it like a sketch or painting.

2. a combination of many different things, styles, or ideas that are brought togeth

2.nounB2
Definition

a combination of many different things, styles, or ideas that are brought together to form a single work, scene, or whole.

Example

The film felt like a collage of different genres — comedy, drama, and animation all mixed together.

metaphorical: a collage of [genres/styles]

Hana's cooking style is a collage of recipes she learned while travelling through Southeast Asia.

collocation: a collage of [ideas/experiences]

Common collocations
  • a collage of sounds
  • a collage of images
  • a collage of styles
  • a collage of voices
  • a collage of influences
Synonyms
  • mixture

    more general; does not carry the artistic implication of intentionally assembled parts

  • blend

    suggests the elements are more smoothly combined rather than visibly distinct

  • assortment

    focuses on variety but lacks the creative, constructed feel of collage

  • mosaic

    similar metaphor of many small pieces forming a whole, often used for communities or cultures

Antonyms
  • uniformity

    the state of being all the same rather than mixed

Grammar Patterns

a collage of [plural noun] — a collection of varied items or ideas

Usage Note

This figurative sense is commonly used in reviews and criticism about art, music, film, or writing. The preposition 'of' is always required before the list of varied elements: 'a collage of sounds,' 'a collage of influences.'

Common Mistakes

The book is a collage different stories.
The book is a collage of different stories.
The preposition 'of' is required after 'collage' in this sense.

Word family

  • collagist
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe art made from combined pieces, but the materials and methods differ. A collage is made by gluing flat materials such as paper, cloth, or photos onto a surface. A montage is specifically a series of images blended together, most often in film or photography. A mosaic uses small pieces of stone, glass, or tile set in cement or plaster. Assemblage is a three-dimensional form: artists attach found objects like metal scraps or wood to create a sculpture-like work. For example: 'Theo made a collage from magazine clippings,' but 'The wedding video opened with a montage of childhood photos.' If you are describing a flat artwork made of layered paper or fabric, 'collage' is the correct choice.

collage ↗montagemosaic ↗assemblage

Common collocations

Phrases

  • a collage of
  • in collage (style/technique)

Prepositions

  • collage of

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

Borrowed from French 'collage,' meaning 'a gluing,' derived from the verb 'coller' (to glue). The French word traces further back to Greek 'kolla' (glue). The term entered English around the early 1900s through the modern art movement, when artists like Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque began gluing real materials onto their canvases.