composition

[ kom-puh-zish-uhn ]

/ ˌkɒm pəˈzɪʃ ən /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: composition / compositions on Thesaurus.com

noun

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.

QUIZ

CUDDLE UP! A COZY QUIZ ON FALL WORDS HAS ARRIVED

If autumn is your ideal season, spice up your repertoire of "fall" vocabulary with this quiz on some warm and vivid descriptive words for the season.

Question 1 of 10

Which of the following words means “to make a crackling sound; crackle”?

crisp

crepitate

fuscous

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Meet Grammar Coach

Write or paste your essay, email, or story into Grammar Coach and get grammar help

Improve Your Writing

Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing

Origin of composition

1350–1400; Middle English composicioun<Anglo-French <Latin compositiōn- (stem of compositiō), equivalent to composit(us) (see composite) + -iōn--ion

OTHER WORDS FROM composition

com·po·si·tion·al, adjectivecom·po·si·tion·al·ly, adverbcom·pos·i·tive

[kuhm-poz-i-tiv], /kəmˈpɒz ɪ tɪv/, adjectivecom·pos·i·tive·ly, adverb

Words nearby composition

composite particle, composite photograph, composite print, composite school, composite volcano, composition, composition of forces, composition series, compositor, compos mentis, compossible

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

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|Fortune
Different 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 News
Physicist 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.
What it takes for a city to jump into the knowledge economy|Karen Ho|September 9, 2020|Quartz
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|Fortune

We’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.
The Best Albums of 2014|Ted Gioia|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Flaubert, for instance, hated the works of Dickens: “What defective composition!”
The Birth of the Novel|Nick Romeo|November 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He described in painful detail the composition of the bars and the heavy shackles on the pad locks.
I Shot Bin Laden|Elliot Ackerman|November 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Plus, did you know that meditation can change your brain composition — just like exercise can change your body?
Meditation Tips for the Easily Distracted|DailyBurn|October 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He approaches the composition of a painting rather as a theatrical director might set the scene of a play.
The Stacks: Edward Hopper’s X-Ray Vision|Hilton Kramer|October 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
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 Munsell
When he plays a sonata it is as if the composition rose from the dead and stood transfigured before you.
Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay
Of writing he knew little and the art of composition appeared very difficult.
The Homesteader|Oscar Micheaux
The countess-dowager was not very adroit at spelling and composition, whether French or English, as you observe.
Elster's Folly|Mrs. Henry Wood
Tausig, 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

composition

/ (ˌkɒmpəˈzɪʃən) /

noun

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

Derived forms of composition

compositional, adjective

Word Origin for composition

C14: from Old French, from Latin compositus; see composite, -ion

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

composition

Origin of composition

OTHER WORDS FROM composition

Words nearby composition

Words related to composition

How to use composition in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for composition

Derived forms of composition

Word Origin for composition