compile
Americanverb (used with object)
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compiles,
present (3rd person singular)
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compiled,
past participle, past
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compiling
present participle
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to put together (documents, selections, or other materials) in one book or work.
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to make (a book, writing, or the like) of materials from various sources.
to compile an anthology of plays; to compile a graph showing changes in profit.
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to gather together.
to compile data.
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Computers. to translate (a computer program) from a high-level language into another language, usually machine language, using a compiler.
verb
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to make or compose from other materials or sources
to compile a list of names
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to collect or gather for a book, hobby, etc
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computing to create (a set of machine instructions) from a high-level programming language, using a compiler
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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precompileverb (used with object)
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recompileverb (used with object)
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uncompiledadjective
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well-compiledadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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compilesimple
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compilessimple
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have compiledperfect
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has compiledperfect
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am compilingprogressive
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are compilingprogressive
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is compilingprogressive
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have been compilingperfect progressive
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has been compilingperfect progressive
Past
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compiledsimple
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had compiledperfect
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was compilingprogressive
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were compilingprogressive
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had been compilingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of compile
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English, from Latin compīlāre “to rob, pillage, steal from another writer,” equivalent to com- “with” + -pīlāre, perhaps akin to pīla “column, pier,” pīlāre “to fix firmly, plant” (hence, “pile up, accumulate”); see com-, pile 1
Explanation
When you compile something, like a recipe-book or a mix-tape, you put it together using things that already exist (recipes, songs). Poetry anthologies, greatest-hits albums, and world-record books are all compilations, because they're made up of things that were originally published or released somewhere else. If you want to skip out on soccer practice one day, you might compile of list of excuses.
Vocabulary lists containing compile
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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UCPS 6th Grade Roots List #1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The latter doesn’t just compile your shopping list—it can buy the groceries for you, comparing prices at different store websites and placing a delivery order with the cheapest.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
In a sermon delivered in Italian on Thursday at St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, the pope suggested machines lack a soul, saying they merely "compile data" quickly.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
In the years since, Duke and his colleagues have expanded on the initial scope of his dissertation to compile more evidence from a larger collection of samples.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2026
The only Englishman to compile a Test ton, and the scorer of 141 against India in a one-day international at Lord's, ends with nine scores below 20 from his other 15 innings.
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026
Several of the island’s censors would compile a brief news digest from other daily radio bulletins.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
The editor then compiles the footage to be ready for the audience to watch the next day to record their reactions.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
The data came from the Geneva registry and the National Agency for Cancer Registration, which compiles information from cantonal cancer registries across Switzerland.
From Science Daily ● May 15, 2026
The Census Bureau compiles its estimates from various government data sources.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 26, 2026
The Beige Book, published eight times a year, compiles anecdotal reports from businesses, banks, and community groups in each region.
From Barron's ● Mar. 4, 2026
When he’s finished, he compiles statistics and concludes confidently that a flea’s ears are in its back legs.
From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos
Here are some campaign highlights compiled by AFP ahead of the November 3 US midterm elections.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
Since 1950, bull markets that made it that long tended to do well in their fifth year, delivering an average gain of nearly 19%, according to data compiled by Carson Investment Research.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 11, 2026
They account for about 29% in Kansas and about 16% in Texas and Michigan, according to state data compiled by the Independent Voter Project.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 2026
In honor of the magazine’s 30th birthday, my colleagues have compiled a list of lists to keep you company over the long weekend:
From Slate ● Oct. 9, 2026
For Christmas, Mrs. Levy always compiled not a gift list but rather a list of the injustices and brutalities she had suffered since August.
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
He said he was "compiling a dossier" with his editor to prove that he authentically wrote the book.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
On the other hand, when it comes to compiling a list of mail voters for USPS, Avore noted that these states are actually better suited than others to share that list.
From Slate ● Sep. 3, 2026
Hong Kong's main tech stock index plans to include 20 more companies as well as artificial intelligence and robotics themes to reflect changes in the industry, the firm compiling it has said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026
She said a federal immigration database the Department of Homeland Security was compiling to determine voter eligibility violated privacy laws.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026
She had been compiling it without my knowledge for the last year or so we were together.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
