compilation
Americannoun
-
compilations
plural
-
the act of compiling.
the compilation of documents.
-
something compiled, as a reference book.
- Synonyms:
- assortment, assemblage, collection
noun
-
something collected or compiled, such as a list, report, etc
-
the act or process of collecting or compiling
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of compilation
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin compīlatiōn-, stem of compīlātiō; equivalent to compile + -ation
Explanation
A compilation is a collection. You might have enough fascinating stories about compasses to publish your own compilation of the best. You'd have to find some other compass enthusiasts to buy it though. Coming from the 15th century Latin compilationem “that which is compiled,” a compilation is a grouping or anthology of similar items. A music compilation brings together different artists and songs on a playlist. One can gather essays on a similar topic to organize a compilation for a book. And as President Franklin D. Roosevelt noted, the Constitution itself is "the most marvelously elastic compilation of rules of government ever written.”
Vocabulary lists containing compilation
Eleanor & Park
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Amina's Voice
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Vocabulary Video Contest (2013) - List 3
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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:
Releasing 49 studio albums and more than 100 compilation and collaboration albums, she earned the title of "queen of country music."
From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026
Twenty years after the superb mezzo soprano’s death, Harmonia Mundi has reissued a compilation of her recordings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
He played for me a compilation or recordings of Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 12, 2026
The committee also published a compilation of student loan promotional material received from the Department of Education.
From BBC ● May 27, 2026
I found a Smiths compilation disc and added it to my mix.
From "Burning Blue" by Paul Griffin
Wain didn’t design this film to fit into clip-farmed compilations on TikTok or even one-minute clips on YouTube.
From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026
We bought compilations of the greatest matchups, watched The Ultimate Fighter, developed strong opinions on fighters, rankings, and preferred techniques.
From Slate ● Jun. 14, 2026
The book’s title nods to another famed DJ — Art Laboe — whose “Oldies But Goodies” compilations were split between the ballad-heavy “dreamy side” and dance-centric “jump side.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 4, 2026
The book’s most edifying compilations recount the Soviet people’s unconquerable yearning to live, create and love freely, despite the daily menaces of a police state and deafening propaganda.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 16, 2025
Her dad had a voice like someone on TV, somebody who would try to sell you record compilations.
From "Eleanor & Park" by Rainbow Rowell
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.
