compile

[ kuhm-pahyl ]

/ kəmˈpaɪl /

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See synonyms for: compile / compiled / compiling on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), com·piled, com·pil·ing.

to put together (documents, selections, or other materials) in one book or work.

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.

to gather together: to compile data.

Computers. to translate (a computer program) from a high-level language into another language, usually machine language, using a compiler.

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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”); see com-, pile¹

OTHER WORDS FROM compile

pre·com·pile, verb (used with object), pre·com·piled, pre·com·pil·ing.re·com·pile, verb (used with object), re·com·piled, re·com·pil·ing.un·com·piled, adjectivewell-com·piled, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use compile in a sentence

We’ll compile the suggestions and publish the list as we get closer to the holidays.
Extra Crunch roundup: A fistful of IPOs, Affirm’s Peloton problem, Zoom Apps and more|Walter Thompson|November 20, 2020|TechCrunch
There are bound to be some, particularly because cases are skyrocketing — a million new cases nationwide in a week, according to data compiled by The Washington Post.
College football has been battered by covid. What’s most startling is our acceptance.|Barry Svrluga|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
“We continue to move at the speed of science to compile all the data collected thus far and share with regulators around the world,” Pfizer chief executive Albert Bourla said in a statement.
Pfizer says its coronavirus vaccine is safe and 95% effective and that it will seek regulatory review within days|Carolyn Y. Johnson, Laurie McGinley|November 19, 2020|Washington Post
The project is a volunteer effort to compile data from state health agencies.
Long lines and delayed results again plague coronavirus tests as Thanksgiving approaches|William Wan|November 18, 2020|Washington Post

To supplement these 5,400 pairs even further, the researchers compiled a second dataset of 20,000 pairs of scientific papers and their titles.
An AI helps you summarize the latest in AI|Karen Hao|November 18, 2020|MIT Technology Review
And so we compiled this list through conversations with colleagues and social media crowd-sourcing.
The Best Columns of 2014|John Avlon, Errol Louis|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Our young and talented crew was compiled of friends and fellow classmates.
Nitehawk Shorts Festival: ‘Brute,’ a Twisted Take on Playing in the Dark|Julia Grinberg|November 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Internet news agency slon.ru compiled a list of all the mistakes in the broadcast by Channel 1.
Digital Doublethink: Playing Truth or Dare with Putin, Assad and ISIS|Christopher Dickey, Anna Nemtsova|November 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I was just trying to get better before I compiled some audition.
How Aidy Bryant Stealthily Became Your Favorite ‘Saturday Night Live’ Star|Kevin Fallon|October 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
ESPN's SportsNation compiled a Derek Jeter dating diamond, and Mariah Carey and Jessica Alba were relegated to the outfield.
The Captain’s Log: Derek Jeter’s Lady-Killing Past, From ‘Yeah, Jeets!’ to Gift Baskets|Emily Shire|September 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The words which frequently occurred he arranged‌ in order, the commonest first, and compiled exercises to suit them.
Assimilative Memory|Marcus Dwight Larrowe (AKA Prof. A. Loisette)
The Dictionary we have compiled will tell the amateur what names will most probably supply the qualities he desires.
Violins and Violin Makers|Joseph Pearce
A series of 12 Maps compiled from the best sources, on the scale of four miles to the inch.
Elements of Agricultural Chemistry|Thomas Anderson
His works were popular for a time, until they were discovered to be very inaccurate, and carelessly compiled.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
The legends of the individual "Holy Helpers" were compiled from authors whose writings have the approval of the Church.
Mary, Help of Christians|Various

British Dictionary definitions for compile

compile

/ (kəmˈpaɪl) /

verb (tr)

to make or compose from other materials or sourcesto compile a list of names

to collect or gather for a book, hobby, etc

computing to create (a set of machine instructions) from a high-level programming language, using a compiler

Word Origin for compile

C14: from Latin compīlāre to pile together, plunder, from com- together + pīlāre to thrust down, pack

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

compile

Origin of compile

OTHER WORDS FROM compile

Words related to compile

How to use compile in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for compile

Word Origin for compile