compile
Americanverb (used with object)
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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
- precompile verb (used with object)
- recompile verb (used with object)
- uncompiled adjective
- well-compiled adjective
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”); com-, pile 1
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.
He’s also used it to apply for a mortgage and compile expense reports.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 21, 2026
In Pakula’s “All the President’s Men,” The Washington Post newsroom functions almost like a secret lair, a place where the good guys can hide out and compile their facts.
From Salon • Mar. 7, 2026
Yes, it helps make media work easier not having to compile stats themselves while coaches are pleased getting immediate information on paper.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 6, 2026
Cannon’s additional reasons to suppress Volume II—beyond her insistence that Smith had no power to compile or submit it—were characteristically incoherent.
From Slate • Feb. 26, 2026
By using numbers rather than names when we compile our diary, I think they’ll feel more comfortable and it will probably be safer for all of us.
From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
