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
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The Things They Carried
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Inside Out & Back Again
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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.
"Composure... we don't make it easy on ourselves, but I liked the way we fought," said Brunson, when asked how his team survived the tense final moments.
From Barron's • Jan. 25, 2026
Composure at the crucial moment let them down, which also feels like a familiar story when up against the very top nations.
From BBC • Nov. 10, 2024
“They’ve gotten that and more from Sam in the first six games. Composure, intelligence. He’s athletic. They’ll run him some. Just enough.”
From Seattle Times • Oct. 18, 2019
Composure is the Blues’ calling card after rallying from the basement of the NHL standings in early January to within three victories of the first championship in franchise history.
From Washington Times • May 31, 2019
When their Composure and Tranquillity are returned a little, and their Skin seems to have recovered its wonted and general Warmth, Care should be taken to dispose them to sleep, and to perspire plentifully.
From Advice to the people in general, with regard to their health by Tissot, S. A. D. (Samuel Auguste David)
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.
