assemblage

[ uh-sem-blij; French a-sahn-blazh ]

noun

1. a group of persons or things gathered or collected; an assembly; collection; aggregate.
2. the act of assembling; state of being assembled.
3. Fine Arts.
   1. a sculptural technique of organizing or composing into a unified whole a group of unrelated and often fragmentary or discarded objects.
   2. a work of art produced by this technique. Compare collage, found object, ready-made ( def 4 ).
4. Archaeology. the aggregate of artifacts and other remains found on a site, considered as material evidence in support of a theory concerning the culture or cultures inhabiting it.

assemblage

/ əˈsɛmblɪdʒ /

noun

1. a number of things or persons assembled together; collection; assembly
2. a list of dishes served at a meal or the dishes themselves
3. the act or process of assembling or the state of being assembled
4. ˌæsəmˈblɑːʒ a three-dimensional work of art that combines various objects into an integrated whole

assemblage

/ ə-sĕm′blĭj /

1. A collection of artifacts from a single datable component of an archaeological site. Depending on the site and culture, an assemblage may be associated with a single limited activity, as with stone tools found at a butchering site, or may reflect a broad range of cultural life, as with artifacts that are found in a communal living site.

Other Words From

• reas·semblage noun
• subas·semblage noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of assemblage¹

From French, dating back to 1695–1705; assemble, -age

Example Sentences

“They assemble components of the systems that work for them in any given context. … Dominionism in the NAR is a fluid assemblage of ideas, traditions and practices that are invoked as they seem applicable.”

From Salon

“They took trash, and they turned it into these extraordinary works. Some of them were exuberant, they did installations, assemblages and that really created it,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times

The criticized tableau evoked an assemblage of Greek gods, not “The Last Supper,” and Khelif is, in fact, a woman.

From Los Angeles Times

I eventually did find a place for a beer, the lobby bar at the fancy arts hotel, Saint Kate, conveniently across the street from that day’s protest assemblage.

From Salon

Nelson’s assemblages originated from an introspective spirituality, which he personified in a celestial character named Mr. Moon.

From Los Angeles Times