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compound

verb com·pound \ käm-ˈpau̇nd , kəm-ˈpau̇nd , ˈkäm-ˌpau̇nd \
Updated on: 28 Feb 2018
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Definition of compound

transitive verb
1 : to put together (parts) so as to form a whole : combine
  • compound ingredients
  • … a thick sauce compounded of chilies, garlic, and ginger.
  • —Andy Birsh
2 : to form by combining parts
  • compound a medicine
3 a : to settle amicably : adjust by agreement
b : to agree for a consideration not to prosecute (an offense)
  • compound a felony
4 a : to pay (interest) on both the accrued interest and the principal
b : to add to : augment
  • compound an error
  • … had several other medical complications that compounded his condition.
  • —Jeffrey S. Hollis
intransitive verb
1 : to become joined in a compound
2 : to come to terms of agreement
  • compounded with the enemy for peace
—

compoundable

play \käm-ˈpau̇n-də-bəl, kəm-ˈpau̇n-, ˈkäm-ˌpau̇n-\ adjective
—

compounder

noun

See compound defined for English-language learners

See compound defined for kids

Examples of compound in a Sentence

  1. The interest is compounded at regular intervals.

  2. we compounded our error by waiting too long to call for help

Origin and Etymology of compound

Middle English compounen, from Anglo-French *cumpundre, from Latin componere, from com- + ponere to put — more at position

compound Synonyms

Synonyms

accelerate, add (to), aggrandize, amplify, augment, boost, build up, enlarge, escalate, expand, extend, hype, increase, multiply, pump up, raise, supersize, swell, up;

Antonyms

abate, decrease, de-escalate, diminish, downsize, dwindle, lessen, lower, minify, reduce, subtract (from);

Near Antonyms

abbreviate, abridge, curtail, shorten;

compress, condense, constrict, contract;

cut back, retrench;

Related Words

boom, jump, skyrocket, spike;

bump (up), ratchet (up) also rachet (up) ;

blow up, dilate, distend, inflate;

draw out, elongate, flesh (out), lengthen, prolong, protract, stretch;

develop, enhance, heighten, intensify, magnify;

complement, supplement;

beef (up), reinforce (also reenforce), strengthen;

maximize;

accumulate, amass, collect;

follow up, parlay;

2

compound

adjective com·pound \ ˈkäm-ˌpau̇nd , käm-ˈpau̇nd , kəm-ˈpau̇nd \

Definition of compound

1 : composed of or resulting from union of separate elements, ingredients, or parts: such as
a : composed of united similar elements especially of a kind usually independent
  • a compound plant ovary
b : having the blade divided to the midrib and forming two or more leaflets on a common axis
  • a compound leaf
2 : involving or used in a combination
3 a of a word : made by combining two or more words : constituting a compound (see 3compound 1)
  • "Steamboat" is a compound noun.
b of a sentence : having two or more main clauses

See compound defined for English-language learners

Examples of compound in a Sentence

  1. “Steamboat” is a compound noun.

  2. “I told him to leave and he left” is a compound sentence.

Origin and Etymology of compound

Middle English compouned, past participle of compounen — see 1compound

compound Synonyms

Synonyms

amalgamated, composite;

Antonyms

noncompound, simple;

Near Antonyms

uncombined, unmixed;

Related Words

blended, combined, commingled, mingled, mixed;

coalescent, fused, integrated;

interlaced, intermixed, intertwined, interwoven;

cut-and-paste;

3

compound

noun com·pound \ ˈkäm-ˌpau̇nd \

Definition of compound

1 a : a word consisting of components that are words (such as rowboat, high school, devil-may-care)
b : a word (such as anthropology, kilocycle, builder) consisting of any of various combinations of words, combining forms, or affixes
2 : something formed by a union of elements or parts; especially : a distinct substance formed by chemical union of two or more ingredients in definite proportion by weight
  • a new antibiotic compound

Origin and Etymology of compound

see 2compound

Other Chemical Engineering Terms

alkali, cation, decant, hygroscopic, isotope, oxidize, slurry, solute, viscous

4

compound

noun com·pound \ ˈkäm-ˌpau̇nd \

Definition of compound

: a fenced or walled-in area containing a group of buildings and especially residences
  • a prison compound
  • an embassy compound

Origin and Etymology of compound

by folk etymology from Malay kampung group of buildings, village

Financial Definition of COMPOUND

compound
verb

What It Is

In finance, to compound means to earn interest on principal plus interest that was earned earlier.

How It Works

You have $100 to open a savings account at XYZ Bank on January 1. The annual interest rate is 5%. How much will you have in five years?

Well, if the bank simply gave you 5% of your $100 at the end of the year, you would have $105 on December 31. If you left the $105 in the account to earn another 5% next year, at the end of that second year, you would have: $105 x 1.05 = $110.25. Not only did you earn interest on your original $100 in year two, you earned interest on year one's interest. That is, it compounded. If you carried this out another eight years, here's what your account might look like:

At the end of 10 years, you would have $162.89 in the account just for doing nothing. But it gets better. The example above assumes the bank pays interest on the balance at the end of the year (that is, the interest compounded annually). In the real world, a bank would usually pay you interest on your account balance at the end of every month (that is, the interest compounds monthly). The bank simply divides the annual interest rate (5% in our case) by 12 months, and applies that rate to your balance at the end of each month. So in year one, let's see what happens:

Notice that when the bank compounded the balance annually, you only had $105.00 at the end of year one. But if the bank compounds monthly, you have $105.12 at the end of year one. It may not sound like much, but consider the effect on a $500,000 beginning balance: At the end of 10 years, the investor has $814,447.13 if the interest compounds annually, but she has $823,504.75 -- a full $9,057.62 more -- if the interest compounds monthly.

Compounding doesn't just affect how much interest investors earn; it affects how much interest investors pay. For example, if that $1,000 savings account had really been a $1,000 loan to you from XYZ Bank, the amount of interest you pay would be influenced by how often the bank compounded the rate. The important lesson here is that the more frequently compounding occurs, the more interest is earned (or paid) on a balance. Some credit cards even compound interest daily, which greatly affects the borrower's balance owed.

Why It Matters

The financial world often refers to compounding as "magic" because it is one of the most fundamental ways to build wealth yet takes the least amount of effort. But because of the variety of interest calculation methods out there, borrowers should compare lender offers, and investors should compare investment offers by carefully reading the disclosure accompanying those offers. Investors are well served to understand how an institution’s choice of interest-calculation methods affect the amount of interest applied to the investor’s account. Depending on the anticipated activity, the borrower might save money and the investor might make more money by preferring one calculation method to another.

This InvestingAnswers story features a real-life example of how compounding can work for you: How One Normal Lady Turned $200 into $7 Million.

Source: Investing Answers

Phrases Related to COMPOUND

Related Phrases

COMPOUND Defined for English Language Learners

compound

verb

Definition of compound for English Language Learners

  • : to make (something, such as an error or problem) worse : to add to (something bad)

  • finance : to pay interest on both an amount of money and the interest it has already earned

  • : to form (something) by combining separate things

compound

adjective

Definition of compound for English Language Learners

  • : made up of two or more parts

  • : made by combining two or more words

  • : consisting of two or more main clauses

COMPOUND Defined for Kids

1

compound

verb com·pound \ käm-ˈpau̇nd \

Definition of compound for Students

compounded; compounding
1 : to form by combining separate things
  • compound a medicine
2 : to make worse
  • compound a problem
3 : to pay (interest) on both an original amount of money and on the interest it has already earned
2

compound

adjective com·pound \ ˈkäm-ˌpau̇nd \

Definition of compound for Students

: made of or by the union of two or more parts
  • a compound leaf with three leaflets
3

compound

noun com·pound \ ˈkäm-ˌpau̇nd \

Definition of compound for Students

1 : a word made up of parts that are themselves words
  • The words “rowboat” and “hide-and-seek” are compounds.
2 : something (as a chemical) that is formed by combining two or more parts or elements
4

compound

noun com·pound \ ˈkäm-ˌpau̇nd \

Definition of compound for Students

: an enclosed area containing a group of buildings

Medical Dictionary

1

compound

transitive verb com·pound \ käm-ˈpau̇nd, kəm-ˈ, ˈkäm-ˌ \

medical Definition of compound

: to form by combining parts
  • compound a medicine
2

compound

adjective com·pound \ ˈkäm-ˌpau̇nd, käm-ˈ, kəm-ˈ \

medical Definition of compound

: composed of or resulting from union of separate elements, ingredients, or parts
  • a compound substance
  • compound glands
3

compound

noun com·pound \ ˈkäm-ˌpau̇nd \

medical Definition of compound

: something formed by a union of elements or parts; specifically : a distinct substance formed by chemical union of two or more ingredients in definite proportion by weight

Law Dictionary

compound

transitive verb com·pound \ kəm-ˈpau̇nd \

legal Definition of compound

1 : to agree for a consideration not to prosecute (an offense)
Note: Compounding a felony is a common-law crime.
2 : to pay (interest) on both the accrued interest and the principal

Learn More about compound

  1. See words that rhyme with compound Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for compound Spanish Central: Translation of compound Nglish: Translation of compound for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of compound for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about compound

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Examples: compound in a Sentence