compose
Americanverb (used with object)
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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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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
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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:
Selines has two younger siblings she’s helped raise; one of whom helped her compose the synth-fueled track “Universe.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 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 state ostensibly has a “merit selection” system, in which nominating commissions compose lists of the most qualified applicants for judgeships, and the governor chooses from the list.
From Slate ● May 11, 2026
Showtime’s “Twin Peaks: The Return,” which aired 18 episodes in 2017, was the most maximalist farewell imaginable, the kind of enormous canvas on which Lynch had always hoped to compose.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026
Before encryption machines came along, people had to compose their own ciphers, writing them out letter by letter.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
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
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
He composes his songs at home - which are no longer than a minute long as he gets out of breath easily - and his sets last just 30 minutes.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2024
“Jawole composes like an improviser, always leaving room for the spirit,” he said.
From New York Times ● Jun. 17, 2024
Maybe he writes up here, composes bad poetry.
From "Everything, Everything" by Nicola Yoon
Bethell, who has not previously batted higher than four for England in white-ball cricket, started his ODI opening career with innings of 14 and four, but cut a composed figure at the Home of Cricket.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
The back-to-back Wednesday and Thursday night programs featured music composed and performed by Americans.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 16, 2026
While governors still appoint justices, they must choose from candidates vetted by an independent nominating commission composed of nonlawyers and lawyers selected from across the state.
From Slate ● Jul. 8, 2026
To test the idea, the researchers created a crystal composed of cerium, palladium, and silicon.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 8, 2026
He was a bad painter and a vicious gossip, with a vocabulary composed almost entirely of obscenities, guttural verbs, and the word “postmodernist.”
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
It wasn’t until after the release of that book, and then “Nickel Boys,” that Whitehead decided to lighten the mood by composing a crime novel set in New York City in the 1960s.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 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
The Oscar-winning actor said he had been composing music "all my life", and that "music was my first desire, my first wish".
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
In the process of composing his cousin’s Grammy-winning 2023 album, “Génesis,” Laija García asked him if he could also release his own material.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
He discovered a number of workers from the editorial and composing rooms still in the building.
From "The Great Fire" by Jim Murphy
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.
