composer
Americannoun
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a person who composes music
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a person or machine that composes anything, esp type for printing
Etymology
Origin of composer
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."
Vocabulary lists containing composer
Music - Introductory
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Academy Awards, List 3
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Music - Middle School
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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.
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
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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.