compose
Americanverb (used with object)
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composes,
present (3rd person singular)
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composed,
past participle, past
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composing
present participle
-
to make or form by combining things, parts, or elements.
He composed his speech from many research notes.
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to be or constitute a part or element of.
a rich sauce composed of many ingredients.
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to make up or form the basis of.
Style composes the essence of good writing.
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to put or dispose in proper form or order.
to compose laws into a coherent system.
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Art. to organize the parts or elements of (a picture or the like).
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to create (a musical, literary, or choreographic work).
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to end or settle (a quarrel, dispute, etc.).
The union and management composed their differences.
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to bring (oneself, one's mind, etc.) to a condition of calmness, repose, etc.; calm; quiet.
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Printing.
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to set (type).
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to set type for (an article, book, etc.).
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verb (used without object)
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composes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
composed,
past participle, past
-
composing
present participle
-
to engage in composition, especially musical composition.
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to enter into composition; fall into an arrangement.
a scene that composes well.
verb
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to put together or make up by combining; put in proper order
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to be the component elements of
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to produce or create (a musical or literary work)
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(intr) to write music
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to calm (someone, esp oneself); make quiet
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to adjust or settle (a quarrel, etc)
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to order the elements of (a painting, sculpture, etc); design
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printing to set up (type)
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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composesimple
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composessimple
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have composedperfect
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has composedperfect
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am composingprogressive
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are composingprogressive
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is composingprogressive
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have been composingperfect progressive
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has been composingperfect progressive
Past
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composedsimple
-
had composedperfect
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was composingprogressive
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were composingprogressive
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had been composingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of compose
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English word from Middle French word composer. See com-, pose 1
Explanation
To compose is to put something together, like a song, poem, or even yourself. You might want to compose yourself before returning to the party after a good cry. The word compose began with the Latin ponere, which means "to put, place," referring to placing or arranging any piece of work. It's been in the music business since the 1590s, and it's generally still used to describe the act of writing songs. But you can use it whenever you're pulling something together: you might compose an essay for English class, or notice that the class is composed of all girls.
Vocabulary lists containing compose
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 5
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List 5
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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.
See Examples For:
Magotsi's eyes are filled with tears as he struggles to compose himself.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
He declined to say which AI tool helped him compose the Journal piece, which he wrote over the weekend while on vacation with his grandchildren.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
For proof, she was taken into a private teacher’s room, where through a one-way mirror she saw him compose himself shortly after her departure and start to play with the other children.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 12, 2026
Last year, he became the first Indian to compose and perform a Western classical symphony in London with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, which described it as a "milestone in global music history".
From BBC ● Jun. 6, 2026
The car had stopped, but we sat waiting for Mama to compose herself a little so we could walk to the graveside.
From "The Rock and the River" by Kekla Magoon
Musician Labrinth has distanced himself from TV series Euphoria, for which he composes the music, and said he is "done with this industry".
From BBC ● Mar. 13, 2026
This is the reverse of many professionals who edit—or copy and paste—whatever an AI tool composes in response to a prompt.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 26, 2025
It’s a trait you see in her performance as Sister Agnes, who composes herself with a quiet power.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 12, 2024
He specifically cites the way Pop Crave composes its posts, saying that there is specific psychology to the way its feed operates and rallies its massive follower base.
From Slate ● Sep. 1, 2024
She takes her mark, composes herself, rocks back and forth a few times, then approaches the bar and flips right over it.
From "The Running Dream" by Wendelin Van Draanen
Videos captured by the crew confirm it is a mesmerizing creature with long pale “legs” trailing from thicker appendages connected to a pale body composed of two fins that undulate languidly in tandem.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2026
Iatcenko looked a bundle of nerves in the biggest match of her career, but composed herself to get on the scoreboard for 5-1 and immediately broke out into a relieved smile.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
A renter generation is emerging in America, composed of younger people who are renting longer and structuring their financial lives without the traditional pillar of home ownership.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 2, 2026
Parton once estimated that she composed or collaborated on more than 3000 tunes in her lifetime, recording some 450 of them.
From Salon ● Aug. 29, 2026
I had heard through the grapevine that a former math teacher named Dorothy Vaughan was running NACA’s highly regarded West Area computing unit, which was composed entirely of Colored women.
From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson
It was created by the street artist Frank Styles, who hand-sprayed it as four separate works before composing them into a single image across all 58 of the site's Spanish Steps.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
His Disney Hall debut followed in early 2007, and that settled it for Salonen, who was eager to spend more time composing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
“I actually found it much easier than writing songs about myself. Having the permission to be silly and bratty was so freeing,” Hart said to The Quietus, discussing composing from Lestat’s perspective.
From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2026
Tech firms are racing to roll out advanced smartphones that use artificial intelligence to do everything from ordering food to composing messages upon a simple voice command.
From Barron's ● Jul. 19, 2026
When I turn to face her, I’m hastily composing a fleet of explanations, none of which make any sense.
From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir
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.
