composure
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of composure
Explanation
When you stay calm under pressure, you keep your composure. Keeping your composure for a skinned knee? Easy. Keeping your composure during an avalanche? Not so easy. The word composure is from the related word composed, but don't think of the word in the musical sense. In this case, composed means calm. What's the difference between the two? Well, composed is an adjective, so you simply are composed. Composure, on the other hand, is a noun, so you can lose, keep, regain, or maintain your composure — your ability to stay calm. If you lose your composure, you're freaking out.
Vocabulary lists containing composure
Metamorphosis
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Things They Carried
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Inside Out & Back Again
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
To Meloni’s left sat Denmark’s Mette Frederiksen, trying to maintain composure.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
Ultimately, for all that Ancelotti's changes made a difference, it was a Japan mistake and the composure of Bruno Guimaraes and Gabriel Martinelli that clinched victory for Brazil.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
Cepeda urged "composure and calm" following these incidents, during which demonstrators burned US flags in reference to De la Espriella's rapport with the Trump administration.
From Barron's ● Jun. 24, 2026
Throughout our conversation, he never lost his composure, even when discussing outbreaks.
From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026
As Papa put one arm around Mama and the other around Mary Toy, Miss Love’s composure crumbled and she went to crying.
From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns
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.
