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pastiche

noun
pas·​tiche | \ pa-ˈstÄ“sh How to pronounce pastiche (audio) , pä-\

Definition of pastiche

1 : a literary, artistic, musical, or architectural work that imitates the style of previous work His building designs are pastiches based on classical forms. also : such stylistic imitation
2a : a musical, literary, or artistic composition made up of selections from different works : potpourri The research paper was essentially a pastiche made up of passages from different sources.
b : hodgepodge The house is decorated in a pastiche of Asian styles.
Other Words from pastiche Synonyms Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about pastiche

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Other Words from pastiche

pasticheur \ ËŒpa-​stÄ“-​ˈshÉ™r How to pronounce pasticheur (audio) , ËŒpä-​ \ noun

Did You Know?

It all began with macaroni. Our word pastiche is from French, but the French word was in turn borrowed from Italian, where the word is pasticcio. Pasticcio is what the Italians called a kind of "macaroni pie" (from the word pasta). English-speakers familiar with this multilayered dish had begun to apply the name to various sorts of potpourris or hodgepodges (musical, literary, or otherwise) by the 18th century. For over a hundred years English speakers were happy with pasticcio, until we discovered the French word pastiche sometime in the latter part of the 1800s. Although we still occasionally use pasticcio in its extended meaning, "pastiche" is now much more common.

Examples of pastiche in a Sentence

His earlier building designs were pastiches based on classical forms. With this work she goes beyond pastiche. The research paper was essentially a pastiche made up of passages from different sources. The house is decorated in a pastiche of Asian styles.
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Recent Examples on the Web

 For an artist synonymous with mid-century pastiche, Lana Del Rey captures American life in 2019 with uncanny precision. — Judy Berman, Time, "Review: Norman F---ing Rockwell! Is Lana Del Rey's Darkest—And Greatest—Album Yet," 30 Aug. 2019 After the first few saccharine numbers, the show settles into playful pastiches of a multiplicity of styles, from a jazzy strut to country, from cabaret to calypso. — Sam Hurwitt, The Mercury News, "Review: Quirky, cheeky ‘Dreamcoat’ kicks up some fun at Tri-Valley Rep," 25 July 2019 Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is a pastiche, history filtered through celluloid. — David Sims, The Atlantic, "Quentin Tarantino Has Made His Best Movie in a Decade," 24 July 2019 Alsace-Lorraine, a region in eastern France, has passed back and forth between France and Germany for centuries, and its culture has always been a curious pastiche of the two countries: kugelhopf in the cafés, Voltaire in the schools. — James Mcauley, Town & Country, "The Haunting of Paris: Georges Mandel and the Long Legacy of Nazi Violence," 6 Aug. 2019 The clothes re-interpreted Ancient Egyptian fashion with the signature Chanel style to create a sartorial pastiche. — Tatum Dooley, Teen Vogue, "How to Recreate Awkwafina’s Shimmery Gold Eyeshadow," 30 July 2019 The first episode of Season 2 of Fleabag functions as a one-act play on its own, as does the Marina Abramović pastiche in Documentary Now! starring Cate Blanchett. — Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, "The TV Is Too Damn Long," 9 June 2019 Why watch: The most horrifying thing in Savageland might be the dialogue uttered by some of the white, openly racist side characters who populate its mockumentary pastiche. — Dylan Scott, Vox, "13 found-footage horror movies actually worth watching this Halloween," 19 Oct. 2018 Mass nationalist rallies even of the type orchestrated by Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan in Turkey and the Law and Justice Party in Poland seem more like pastiche than the genuine article. — Adam Tooze, The New York Review of Books, "Democracy and Its Discontents," 6 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pastiche.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of pastiche

1866, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for pastiche

French, from Italian pasticcio

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More Definitions for pastiche

pastiche

noun
How to pronounce pastiche (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of pastiche

: something (such as a piece of writing, music, etc.) that imitates the style of someone or something else
: a piece of writing, music, etc., that is made up of selections from different works
: a mixture of different things

See the full definition for pastiche in the English Language Learners Dictionary

More from Merriam-Webster on pastiche

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for pastiche

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pastiche

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