miscellany

noun

mis·​cel·​la·​ny ˈmi-sə-ˌlā-nē 

 chiefly British  mi-ˈse-lə-nē

plural miscellanies

1

a

miscellanies plural : separate writings collected in one volume

b

: a collection of writings on various subjects

2

: a mixture of various things

Synonyms

• agglomerate
• agglomeration
• alphabet soup
• assortment
• botch
• clutter
• collage
• crazy quilt
• farrago
• gallimaufry
• grab bag
• gumbo
• hash
• hodgepodge
• hotchpotch
• jambalaya
• jumble
• jungle
• litter
• macédoine
• medley
• mélange
• menagerie
• miscellanea
• mishmash
• mixed bag
• montage
• motley
• muddle
• olio
• olla podrida
• omnium-gatherum
• pastiche
• patchwork
• patchwork quilt
• potpourri
• ragbag
• ragout
• rummage
• salad
• salmagundi
• scramble
• shuffle
• smorgasbord
• stew
• tumble
• variety
• welter

Examples of miscellany in a Sentence

a miscellany of old toys

the box from the attic contained a miscellany of old records, family photo albums, and long-forgotten love letters

Recent Examples on the Web

Yet this long, obscure miscellany turned out to be a garland of little gems. —Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2024

With your celestial ruler, Mars, joining forces with Jupiter in Gemini, the cosmos is inspiring you with a fiery burst of motivation to enhance your skills and tackle writing projects as well as other miscellanies. —Valerie Mesa, Peoplemag, 11 Aug. 2024

My miscellany list has gotten long enough to warrant a trip to Walmart. —R29 Team, refinery29.com, 12 Jan. 2024

But one topic among the Gazette’s noisy miscellanies is disturbing, if not unexpected, for a modern reader. —Adam Smyth, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin miscellānea miscellanea, with ending conformed to -y entry 2, perhaps after Middle French miscellanées "miscellaneous writing"

First Known Use

1601, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

miscellany

noun

mis·​cel·​la·​ny ˈmis-ə-ˌlā-nē 

plural miscellanies

1

: a mixture of various things

2

: a collection of writings