composite

1 of 3

adjective

com·​pos·​ite käm-ˈpä-zət 

kəm-ˈpä-,

especially British

ˈkäm-pə-zit 

1

: made up of distinct parts or elements

a composite photograph

composite materials

: such as

a

capitalized : relating to or being a modification of the Corinthian order combining angular Ionic volutes with the acanthus-circled bell of the Corinthian

b

: of or relating to a very large family (Asteraceae synonym Compositae) of dicotyledonous herbs, shrubs, and trees often considered to be the most highly evolved plants and characterized by florets arranged in dense heads that resemble single flowers

c

: factorable into two or more prime factors other than 1 and itself

8 is a positive composite integer.

2

: combining the typical or essential characteristics of individuals making up a group

… the composite man called the Poet …

—Richard Poirier

… the knight was a composite portrait of men whom Chaucer personally knew.

—John Livingston Lowes

3

of a statistical hypothesis : specifying a range of values for one or more statistical parameters compare simple sense 10

4

of a video signal : having two signal components (such as chrominance and luminance) combined in a single channel

For years, commercial television equipment has relied upon composite video cabling, which carries both brightness (luminance) and color (chroma) in a single cable. Problem is, before your television can produce a picture from this signal, it must be heavily filtered, resulting in serious degradation of image quality.

—Home Theater Buyer's Guide

compare component entry 2 sense 2

compositely adverb

composite

2 of 3

noun

1

: something composite : compound

a composite of two images

2

: a composite (see composite entry 1 sense 1b) plant

daisies, dandelions, and other composites

3

: composite function

4

: a solid material which is composed of two or more substances having different physical characteristics and in which each substance retains its identity while contributing desirable properties to the whole

especially : a structural material made of plastic within which a fibrous material (such as silicon carbide) is embedded

5

: an artist's sketch or digitally generated image of a criminal suspect usually created from witnesses' descriptions and used to help police identify and apprehend the suspect

a police composite

Police have released a composite of the suspect based on a description from the victim of the April 4 robbery.

—Jim Jaworski

composite

3 of 3

verb

composited; compositing

transitive verb

: to make composite or into something composite

composited four soil samples

composite the images

Synonyms

Adjective

• amalgamated
• compound

Noun

• alloy
• mixture
• amalgam
• blend
• mix
• amalgamation
• combination
• synthesis
• fusion

Verb

• mix
• combine
• blend
• integrate
• merge
• amalgamate
• incorporate

Examples of composite in a Sentence

Adjective

the movie's special effects included the use of many composite photographs

Noun

a composite of diverse communities

He spotted a man who resembled the police composite.

Verb

wood chips can be composited or sold as mulch

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Two weeks later, police publicized a composite sketch of the suspect. —Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 26 June 2025

Jodi Lee is the senior vice president of marketing at Trex Company, a supplier of composite decking, railing, and other outdoor products. —Sophie Flaxman, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 June 2025

Noun

The Nasdaq composite gained 0.5% to 20,273.46, its own all-time high. —Elaine Kurtenbach, Chicago Tribune, 30 June 2025

The Nasdaq composite gained 105.55 points, or 0.5%, to 20,273.46 and set its own all-time high. —Damian J. Troise, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2025

Verb

The live action was filmed on a clear day, and so blizzard conditions and smoke, as well as the horde of infected, also needed to be composited into the shot. —Carolyn Giardina, Variety, 1 June 2025

According to Drewry’s World Container Index, global ocean spot freight rate averages composited across eight major trade lanes have decreased 4.2 percent to $2,076 per 40-foot container. —Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 8 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Noun

Latin compositus, past participle of componere — see compose

First Known Use

Adjective

1563, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1656, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1923, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing composite

• composite function

Rhymes for composite

• deposit
• closet
• posit
• nanocomposite
• oviposit

Kids Definition

composite

1 of 2 adjective

com·​pos·​ite käm-ˈpäz-ət  kəm- 

1

: made up of various parts or elements

a composite photograph

2

: of or relating to a very large family of dicotyledonous plants (as a daisy or aster) that are characterized by flowers arranged in dense heads that resemble single flowers

3

: able to be factored into two or more prime factors other than 1 and itself

12 is a composite number since 2 × 2 × 3 = 12

composite

2 of 2 noun

1

: something that is made up of different parts : compound

2

: a composite plant