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Synonyms

composer

American  
[kuhm-poh-zer] / kəmˈpoʊ zər /

noun

  1. a person or thing that composes.

  2. a person who writes music.

  3. an author.


composer British  
/ kəmˈpəʊzə /

noun

  1. a person who composes music

  2. a person or machine that composes anything, esp type for printing

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of composer

First recorded in 1555–65; compose + -er 1

Explanation

A composer is an artist who writes music to be played or performed by musicians. A classical composer might work by writing out musical notation and trying things out on the piano. If you're a composer, you most likely write classical, jazz, music for film, or another type of primarily instrumental music, without lyrics. A writer of popular or rock music is more likely to be called a "songwriter." A composer might compose symphonies as a profession, or write short tunes as a hobby. In Old French, composer means "put together, arrange, or write," from com-, "with," and poser, "to place."

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Vocabulary lists containing composer

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.

The company also recently launched Composer 2, a model that it promoted as offering “frontier-level” coding intelligence.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 21, 2026

The company also recently launched Composer 2, a model that it promoted as offering “frontier-level” coding intelligence.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 21, 2026

The company behind industry-standard platforms Pro Tools and Media Composer said it is entering a multiyear partnership with Google Cloud.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

Composer AR Rahman wrote that "she lives forever through her voice and aura -what an artist".

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

Composer Antonio Salieri was moved to tears of joy by reading some of Mozart’s scores before they were performed.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady