composer

American  

[kuhm-poh-zer] / kəmˈpoʊ zər /

noun

• composers
  plural

1. a person or thing that composes.

2. a person who writes music.

3. an author.

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composer British  

/ kəmˈpəʊzə /

noun

1. a person who composes music

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

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• composers
  plural

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."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

composer composers

He can’t channel a direct personal relationship with the composer, as did Bud Powell and Barry Harris.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

Kairi’s scenes are often accompanied by the powerful score from composer Yoko Shimomura, amplifying the emotion that has driven the games’ fanbase for more than two decades.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026

Everything in between is a dream, at least according to Anthony Hopkins, composer of orchestral music.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

But their first act was promising, and a lunch with Kallman in New York further reassured the composer.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

Joseph Goebbels, the composer of blustery Nazi propaganda, had been issuing nonsense statements for years.

From "Salt to the Sea" by Ruta Sepetys

In that note, Mr. Batiste also connects Mozart with Monk, citing how the two composers combined “melodic simplicity with staggering complexity” to “challenge convention while achieving universal appeal.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

The regulator quickly confirmed that the works were by composers who really were dead and no fees were required.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026

Amid all the fireworks and fanfare sure to mark the nation’s semiquincentennial this weekend, it’s worth remembering how sculptors, writers, composers and more have channeled the American character in works from throughout this country’s history.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 2026

It was, however, Conlon’s attachment to the Austrian composer that led him to the many composers who could not flee.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026

Sheet music, surely also the ill-gotten spoils of the Château des Bourreaux—a lot of popular songs from the last decade and some pieces by French composers, scored for flute and piano.

From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein

Related Words

• writer