composition
the act of combining parts or elements to form a whole.
the resulting state or product.
manner of being composed; structure: This painting has an orderly composition.
makeup; constitution: His moral composition was impeccable.
an aggregate material formed from two or more substances: a composition of silver and tin.
a short essay written as a school exercise.
the act or process of producing a literary work.
an academic course for teaching the techniques of clear, expository writing.
the art of putting words and sentences together in accordance with the rules of grammar and rhetoric.
a piece of music.
the art of composing music.
Fine Arts. the organization or grouping of the different parts of a work of art so as to achieve a unified whole.
Grammar. the formation of compounds or derivatives: the composition of “aircraft” from “air” and “craft.”
a settlement by mutual agreement.
an agreement or compromise, especially one by which a creditor or group of creditors accepts partial payment from a debtor.
a sum of money so paid.
Printing.
the setting up of type for printing.
Also called pagination. the makeup of pages for printing.
Mathematics. the process of making a composite function of two given functions.
Origin of composition
1Other words from composition
- com·po·si·tion·al, adjective
- com·po·si·tion·al·ly, adverb
- com·pos·i·tive [kuhm-poz-i-tiv], /kəmˈpɒz ɪ tɪv/, adjective
- com·pos·i·tive·ly, adverb
Words Nearby composition
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use composition in a sentence
I share McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski’s belief that the company’s franchisee ranks should more closely reflect the diverse composition of America and the world.
Why McDonald’s sets the standard for equitable business models | jakemeth | September 16, 2020 | FortuneDifferent wine growing regions had distinct microbial communities in both the soil and the must, which appeared to influence the unique compositions of metabolites in the finished wine.
How does a crop’s environment shape a food’s smell and taste? | Carolyn Beans | September 10, 2020 | Science NewsPhysicist Inho Hong from the Center for Humans & Machines at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Germany looked at the industry composition of 350 US metro areas between 1998 and 2013.
Treatments that modulate the composition and functionality of the gut microbiome should be explored, according to Ng.
COVID-19 infection lingers in the gut, even after it clears the respiratory system, researchers say | Claire Zillman, reporter | September 8, 2020 | FortuneWe’ve changed the composition of the team, taken down the number of traditional sales roles by 25% but added more programmatic specialists, content creation specialists.
‘It’s less dire than it seemed to be’: How The Wall Street Journal’s digital ads business has weathered the downturn | Lucinda Southern | August 20, 2020 | Digiday
John Luther Adams lives up to the title of his composition, capturing an oceanic torrent of sound in an awe-inspiring performance.
Flaubert, for instance, hated the works of Dickens: “What defective composition!”
He described in painful detail the composition of the bars and the heavy shackles on the pad locks.
Plus, did you know that meditation can change your brain composition — just like exercise can change your body?
He approaches the composition of a painting rather as a theatrical director might set the scene of a play.
He was the most distinguished representative of the English school of composition, and was knighted in 1842.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology | Joel MunsellWhen he plays a sonata it is as if the composition rose from the dead and stood transfigured before you.
Music-Study in Germany | Amy FayOf writing he knew little and the art of composition appeared very difficult.
The Homesteader | Oscar MicheauxThe countess-dowager was not very adroit at spelling and composition, whether French or English, as you observe.
Elster's Folly | Mrs. Henry WoodTausig, in my opinion, did possess exceptional genius in composition, though he left but few works behind him to attest it.
Music-Study in Germany | Amy Fay
British Dictionary definitions for composition
/ (ˌkɒmpəˈzɪʃən) /
the act of putting together or making up by combining parts or ingredients
something formed in this manner or the resulting state or quality; a mixture
the parts of which something is composed or made up; constitution
a work of music, art, or literature
the harmonious arrangement of the parts of a work of art in relation to each other and to the whole
a piece of writing undertaken as an academic exercise in grammatically acceptable writing; an essay
printing the act or technique of setting up type
linguistics the formation of compound words
logic the fallacy of inferring that the properties of the part are also true of the whole, as every member of the team has won a prize, so the team will win a prize
a settlement by mutual consent, esp a legal agreement whereby the creditors agree to accept partial payment of a debt in full settlement
the sum so agreed
chem the nature and proportions of the elements comprising a chemical compound
Origin of composition
1Derived forms of composition
- compositional, adjective
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
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