What does "composition" mean?
The act of putting together; assembly.
Composition
noun
noun ·4 syllables ·Top 500 ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The act of putting together; assembly.
- Grammar: composition is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: arrangement, constitution, makeup, paper.
- Useful contrasts: chaos, disorder, disorganization.
- Usage evidence: David has a keen interest in aesthetics — the qualities that make a painting, sculpture, musical composition, or poem pleasing to the eye, ear, or mind.
How to use "composition"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "composition" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "composition" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "composition" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "composition" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "composition" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "arrangement" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "composition", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The act of putting together; assembly. countable, uncountable
- 2 the act of creating written works wordnet
- 3 A mixture or compound; the result of composing. countable, uncountable
"Ste. What do'st thou know me for? Kent. A Knave, a Rascall, [...] one that would'st be a Baud in way of good service, and art nothing but the composition of a Kave, Begger, Coward, Pandar, and the Sonne and Heire of a Mungrill Bitch, one whom I will beate in to clamours whining, if thou deny'st the least sillable of thy addition."
- 4 musical creation wordnet
- 5 The proportion of different parts to make a whole. countable, uncountable
"And as for the perfume which thou shalt make, ye shall not make to yourselves according to the composition thereof: it shall be unto thee holy for the Lord."
Show 23 more definitions
- 6 something that is created by arranging several things to form a unified whole wordnet
- 7 The general makeup of a thing or person. countable, uncountable
"John of Gaunt. O how that name befits my composition! Old Gaunt indeed, and gaunt in being old: Within me grief hath kept a tedious fast; And who abstains from meat that is not gaunt?"
- 8 the way in which someone or something is composed wordnet
- 9 A puzzle created by the composer using chess pieces on a chessboard, which presents the solver with a particular task. countable, uncountable
- 10 the spatial property resulting from the arrangement of parts in relation to each other and to the whole wordnet
- 11 An agreement or treaty used to settle differences; later especially, an agreement to stop hostilities; a truce. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"It will stoope and yeeld upon better compositions to him that shall make head against it."
- 12 an essay (especially one written as an assignment) wordnet
- 13 A payment of money in order to clear a liability or obligation; a settling or fine. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"He hath perverted a young gentlewoman here in Florence, of a most chaste renown; and this night he fleshes his will in the spoil of her honour: he hath given her his monumental ring, and thinks himself made in the unchaste composition."
- 14 art and technique of printing with movable type wordnet
- 15 A payment of money in order to clear a liability or obligation; a settling or fine.; A payment of fine in order to settle a (usually minor) criminal charge. Singapore, countable, obsolete, uncountable
- 16 a musical work that has been created wordnet
- 17 an agreement or compromise by which a creditor or group of creditors accepts partial payment from a debtor. countable, uncountable
- 18 a mixture of ingredients wordnet
- 19 An essay. countable, uncountable
- 20 The formation of compound words from separate words. countable, uncountable
- 21 A work of music, literature or art. countable, uncountable
"[…] and how good Mrs. West could have written such books and collected so many hard words, with all her family cares, is still more a matter of astonishment. Composition seems to me impossible with a head full of joints of mutton and doses of rhubarb."
- 22 Typesetting. countable, uncountable
- 23 Applying a function to the result of another. countable, uncountable
- 24 The compounding of two velocities or forces into a single equivalent velocity or force. countable, uncountable
- 25 Consistency; accord; congruity. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"There is no composition in these news That gives them credit."
- 26 Synthesis as opposed to analysis. countable, uncountable
"The investigation of difficult things by the method of analysis ought ever to precede the method of composition."
- 27 The arrangement and flow of elements in a picture. countable, uncountable
- 28 Way to combine simple objects or data types into more complex ones. countable, uncountable
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"David has a keen interest in aesthetics — the qualities that make a painting, sculpture, musical composition, or poem pleasing to the eye, ear, or mind."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "composition"?
Common synonyms include: arrangement, constitution, makeup, paper, writing, abatement of differences.
How do you use "composition" in a sentence?
David has a keen interest in aesthetics — the qualities that make a painting, sculpture, musical composition, or poem pleasing to the eye, ear, or mind.
Etymology
From Middle English composicioun, borrowed from Old French composicion, from Latin compositiō, compositiōnem.