MEDLEY Definition & Meaning

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medley

[med-lee]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

plural

medleys

a mixture, especially of heterogeneous elements; hodgepodge; jumble.
a piece of music combining tunes or passages from various sources.
a medley of hit songs from Broadway shows.

adjective

Archaic.��mixed; mingled.

medley

/ ˈ��ɛ��ɪ /

noun

a mixture of various types or elements
a musical composition consisting of various tunes arranged as a continuous whole
Also called: medley relay.��
1. swimming a race in which a different stroke is used for each length
2. athletics a relay race in which each leg has a different distance
an archaic word for melee

adjective

of, being, or relating to a mixture or variety

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of medley¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English noun and adjective medle(e), medlei(e), maedlai(e) “battle, war, quarrel; mixture, balanced mixture,” from Anglo-French, Old French medlee, mellee, noun and adjective use of feminine of past participle of medler “to mix, fight”; meddle

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of medley¹

C14: from Old French medlee, from medler to mix, quarrel

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

On Monday night, Summer McIntosh won the 200-meter individual medley at the 2025 Canadian swimming trials to set her second world record in just three days.

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Like many groups that weekend, they had equipment problems during the set, but resolved them with a bang-up 20-minute medley of “Everyday People” and “Dance to the Music.”

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The original cast of Hamilton reunited to perform a rapturously received medley, to celebrate the show's 10th anniversary.

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Janet Jackson, 59, collected the icon award and showed why by performing a medley of her songs including Someone to Call My Lover and All for You.

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This month is the best time to celebrate spring’s most prized ingredients by enjoying a medley of colorful, mouth-watering recipes.

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Med. Lat.medley relay

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