composition

noun

com·​po·​si·​tion ˌkäm-pə-ˈzi-shən 

1

a

: the act or process of composing

specifically : arrangement into specific proportion or relation and especially into artistic form

the painting's unique composition

b(1)

: the arrangement of type for printing

hand composition

(2)

: the production of type or typographic characters (as in photocomposition) arranged for printing

2

a

: the manner in which something is composed

b

: general makeup

the changing ethnic composition of the city's population

c

: the qualitative and quantitative makeup of a chemical compound

the chemical composition of a polymer

3

: mutual settlement or agreement

The two parties came to a composition.

4

: a product of mixing or combining various elements or ingredients

a composition of rubber and cork

5

: an intellectual creation: such as

a

: a piece of writing

especially : a school exercise in the form of a brief essay

wrote a composition on the role of the police in our society

b

: a written piece of music especially of considerable size and complexity

Her composition for piano and flute was played at the recital.

6

: the quality or state of being compound

7

: the operation of forming a composite function

also : composite function

compositional

ˌkäm-pə-ˈzish-nəl 

-ˈzi-shə-nᵊl

adjective

compositionally adverb

Synonyms

• number
• opus
• piece
• work

Example Sentences

the changing composition of the country's population

the composition of a chemical compound

The teacher reminded us to hand in our compositions at the end of class.

Recent Examples on the Web

All will be examining board composition and scanning for weaknesses in individual directors. —Lila Maclellan, Fortune, 13 Jan. 2023

The charter amendment goes further than the city ordinance, and differs in composition and scope. —Megan Becka, cleveland, 29 Dec. 2022

And even though the total value of deals has hardly changed in the first two quarters, the composition and distribution of deals have changed. —Philipp Sandner, Forbes, 29 Dec. 2022

Pelosi imperiously hand-picked the whole committee, adding two intensely anti-Trump Republicans, Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger — a veneer of bipartisanship that could not conceal GOP objections to the panel’s composition and direction. —The Editors, National Review, 21 Dec. 2022

However, some people may see results sooner or later depending on their individual body composition and health condition. —Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 15 Dec. 2022

These peaks can be explained by the composition and velocity of the material ejected from the merger. —Sanjana Curtis, Scientific American, 12 Dec. 2022

But if the order originates with a poultry producer, the boxes are going to be larger, significantly stronger in composition and corrugation and lined with a coating to prevent leakage. —Matthew Shaer, New York Times, 28 Nov. 2022

There are also options to study your personal anthropology through the ancestral composition and generational timeline and utilize their family tree tool. —Dallas News, 22 Nov. 2022

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Word History

Etymology

Middle English composicioun, from Anglo-French composicion, from Latin composition-, compositio, from componere — see compose

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

composition

noun

com·​po·​si·​tion ˌkäm-pə-ˈzish-ən 

1

: the act or process of composing

2

: the manner in which the parts of a thing are put together : makeup

the composition of a painting

3

: the elements of a compound

the composition of rubber

4

: a product of combining ingredients : combination

a composition made of several different metals

5

: a literary, musical, or artistic production

especially : a short piece of writing done as a school exercise

Legal Definition

composition

noun

com·​po·​si·​tion

: an agreement between an insolvent debtor and several creditors whereby partial payment of the debts discharges in full the original obligations compare accord sense 3, compromise