What does "component" mean?

A smaller, self-contained part of a larger entity. Often refers to a manufactured object that is part of a larger device.

What is a synonym for "component"?

Common synonyms include: part, accessory, actuator, additive, adjunct, air.

Pronounced //kəmˈpəʊnənt//.

//kəmˈpəʊnənt// adj, noun

adj, noun ·Common ·High school level

Noun

1
A smaller, self-contained part of a larger entity. Often refers to a manufactured object that is part of a larger device.
"A CPU is a component of a computer."
2
an artifact that is one of the individual parts of which a composite entity is made up; especially a part that can be separated from or attached to a system wordnet
3
A connected subgraph that is not part of any larger connected subgraph.
4
an abstract part of something wordnet
5
something determined in relation to something that includes it wordnet

Adjective

1
Making up a larger whole. not-comparable
"a component word"
2
Made up of smaller complete units in combination. not-comparable
"a component stereo"

"Evidence that the above example is farfetched can be seen by comparing the total occurrences of component X."

Borrowed from Latin compōnēns, compōnēntis, present participle of compōnō (“assemble, put together”).

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.