miscellaneous

miscellaneous — adjective

1. made up of things or people of different types that do not naturally belong toge

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

made up of things or people of different types that do not naturally belong together

Example

Christopher found a drawer full of miscellaneous items like old keys and stamps.

collocation: miscellaneous items for small objects

The report listed miscellaneous expenses such as parking fees and office snacks.

collocation: miscellaneous expenses in budgets

Common collocations
  • miscellaneous items
  • miscellaneous expenses
  • miscellaneous objects
  • miscellaneous papers
  • miscellaneous collection
  • miscellaneous group
  • miscellaneous costs
  • miscellaneous documents
Synonyms
  • various

    broader — simply means 'several different' without implying that the items do not belong together

  • assorted

    similar but often implies a deliberate selection meant to go together (e.g. assorted chocolates)

  • mixed

    more general; can describe any combination without the nuance of unrelatedness

  • sundry

    more formal or dated; used in fixed phrases like 'sundry items' or 'all and sundry'

Antonyms
  • homogeneous

    describes a group where all members are of the same kind

  • uniform

    describes a group where everything is the same in form or character

Grammar Patterns

miscellaneous + noun

Usage Note

Typically used attributively before a noun (miscellaneous items, miscellaneous expenses). The noun it describes is usually plural or an uncountable collective noun.

Common Mistakes

She bought miscellaneous fruits at the market.
She bought various fruits at the market.
'miscellaneous' implies items from different unrelated categories, not items of the same type.
The group was miscellaneous.
The group was made up of miscellaneous people from different backgrounds.
'miscellaneous' is rarely used alone after a linking verb; it sounds more natural before a noun.

Word family

  • miscellany
    nounC1
  • miscellaneously
    adverbC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Miscellaneous, various, assorted, mixed, and sundry all describe collections of more than one kind, but they differ in how connected the items feel. Miscellaneous stresses that the items do not naturally go together — a drawer of miscellaneous objects might contain keys, buttons, and coins with no obvious link. Various is neutral and simply means 'several different': various fruits, various opinions. Assorted often implies a purposeful mix selected to complement each other, such as assorted nuts or assorted colours in a gift box. Mixed is the most general word and works for any combination, from mixed vegetables to mixed feelings. Sundry is more formal and somewhat dated, found mostly in fixed expressions like 'sundry items' or the phrase 'all and sundry' (everyone). In everyday speech, miscellaneous items on a form become 'other' in many contexts, while assorted suggests an appealing variety rather than random leftovers.

various ↗assorted ↗mixed ↗sundry

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • miscellaneous expenses
  • miscellaneous items
  • miscellaneous collection

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Miscellaneous comes from Latin miscellaneus, meaning 'mixed, of various kinds', which itself comes from miscere (to mix). The word entered English in the early 1600s and was first used to describe mixed collections of writings or topics. Over time it broadened to describe any group of items from different categories.