found object: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples

A 'found object' is the physical item itself (e.g., a bottle, a comb). A 'ready-made' is the term more specifically used for the artwork created by the artist's act of selecting and signing that object. They are often used interchangeably, but 'ready-made' has a stronger art-historical link to Marcel Duchamp.

Yes, though purist definitions associate it with minimal or no alteration (like Duchamp's urinal). In common contemporary usage, artists often modify, combine, or adapt found objects. The key is that the object's original identity as a non-art item remains perceptible.

Yes, 'objet trouvé' is the original French term, literally meaning 'found object.' It is used synonymously in English art discourse, often to sound more technical or to reference the French origins of the concept.

No, it is a highly specialised term. In everyday English, people would simply say 'something I found' or 'a lost item.' Using 'found object' in casual conversation would likely be misunderstood or sound pretentious.

An ordinary, everyday, or mass-produced object that is discovered, often by chance, and given artistic status by being presented as art.

Found object is usually formal/technical in register.

Found object: in British English it is pronounced /ˌfaʊnd ˈɒb.dʒɪkt/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌfaʊnd ˈɑːb.dʒekt/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.