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.
Before you get to that stage, however, club owners and chairmen will rely on their sporting director and chief executive to compile a list of names.
From BBC • Apr. 3, 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
Tompsett said that, meanwhile, Kuehne+Nagel is advising importers to compile documentation showing when and how much they paid so they can submit claims as soon as possible.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 23, 2026
He meant, he said, to compile a book of the best ones.
From "The Shakespeare Stealer" by Gary L. Blackwood
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.
