compose
Americanverb (used with object)
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composes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
composed,
past participle, past
-
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:
The Mirror's Lucy Needham, external noted that the singer was 50 minutes late to start, and may have needed extra time to "compose herself" for the "emotionally charged return".
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 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
A New Englander deeply influenced by his reading of the Transcendentalists, Ives went into the insurance business while continuing to compose music, though his compositions weren’t widely performed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
Several times he had to stop singing to compose himself and, when the music stopped, he had to wipe tears from his eyes.
From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2026
“I saw the whole thing immediately! You’ll need warriors, naturally, to fetch out that disgusting cauldron. But you’ll need a bard to compose the heroic chants of victory. I accept! Delighted!”
From "The Black Cauldron" by Lloyd Alexander
In most places in Europe, tax composes 50%-60% of the retail price of fuel, according to Rob Smith, S&P Energy’s director of global fuel retail.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 22, 2026
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
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
A few, I can tell by the elaborateness of the smile he composes and aims.
From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood
Silicates are minerals and molten materials composed primarily of silicon and oxygen, along with other elements.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 29, 2026
Marles said Thursday that he met with the "Squad", an informal defence and security group composed of Australia, Japan, the United States and the Philippines, where they committed to greater defence policy coordination.
From Barron's ● Oct. 29, 2026
The landfill’s leachate is composed of concentrations of benzene above hazardous waste thresholds and, on occasion, methyl ethyl ketone above hazardous waste thresholds, as well as other harmful constituents at varying concentrations, the lawsuit said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026
How might a relatively small concern like the Avalanches continue to make records composed of sampled material in this climate?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026
The four women sang hymns, including a new “spirit’s song,” probably composed by Leah, the only music teacher in the room.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
“I need to be cautious about wording since price-fixing could raise legal issues,” a GPT-5 agent noted in its internal chain-of-thought log while composing an email to a competitor.
From Slate ● Oct. 25, 2026
A piano prodigy who made her professional debut at the age of 9, Clara was composing by the time she was in her teens.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
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
He was speaking from the shaded courtyard garden of his Mayer am Pfarrplatz heuriger, down the steps from the room where Beethoven stayed while composing part of the Ninth Symphony.
From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026
But Penelope had not yet dared suggest the children begin composing works of their own.
From "The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book I: The Mysterious Howling" by Maryrose Wood
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