✨📕 The NEWThe NEW Collegiate Dictionary, 12th Edition Over 5,000 words added — Buy Now! Collegiate DictionaryBuy Now!
1
as in piece
a literary, musical, or artistic production the compositions of Michelangelo include the dome of St. Peter's, the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, and his monumental statue of David

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in paper
a short piece of writing done as a school exercise a teacher who is fond of having her class write compositions

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
as in layout
the way in which the elements of something (as a work of art) are arranged student photographers learn the importance of composition in creating striking images

Synonyms & Similar Words

4
as in article
a short piece of writing typically expressing a point of view submitted a composition to the local newspaper for its special section marking Martin Luther King Day

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of composition Hiroshige’s dramatic composition contrasting nature and civilization creates a sense of movement and immediacy, and sends a shiver down the viewer’s spine—a feeling that García Sánchez also tried to capture. Françoise Mouly, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025 During one eviction, Abernathy recalls, city marshals took her composition book. Victoria Bekiempis, Rolling Stone, 3 Nov. 2025 Differences in muscle composition may also play a role, according to Baliga. Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 3 Nov. 2025 Physicists were baffled as to why this material would suddenly stop conducting current once the tellurium content reached approximately 30 percent—a change that its basic chemical composition could not explain. Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 2 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for composition
Recent Examples of Synonyms for composition
Noun
  • Plus, in the case that food gets neglected to the back of the fridge and does spoil, each piece is dishwasher safe for easy cleanup.
    Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 11 Nov. 2025
  • The Toronto Blue Jays have tried to add big-name pieces over the last couple of years in free agency, and that very well could be the case this offseason after just missing out on a World Series title.
    Patrick McAvoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • So does a scene in which a nonverbal, neurodivergent member of the community named Ghazal (Bartley Booz) eats a piece of paper that’s probably Peter’s suicide note.
    Sara Holdren, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2025
  • After the couple handed Clarkson a paper with their vows and requested her to read it, the three-time Grammy Award winner joked that she wasn’t officially allowed to officiate.
    Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 10 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • And no columns to get in the way Decades of retrofitting the 1928 courthouse resulted in some awkward layouts for smaller courtrooms.
    Douglas Hanks November 10, Miami Herald, 10 Nov. 2025
  • Detail matters in a sprawling residence in the Sacramento foothills, from its bespoke tile work to rich cherry-wood flooring, from unique layout to the use of old Chicago brick in a solarium-like room.
    Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 8 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Keep a distance from water, wet articles, and metal objects.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 10 Nov. 2025
  • Betting/odds, ticketing and streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic.
    Data Skrive, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • The team envisions this work accelerating the transition from laboratory prototypes to large-scale production, aligning closely with the nation’s carbon peaking and neutrality targets.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 11 Nov. 2025
  • Max Olson is writer-director and video artist based in New York & Los Angeles whose work aims to hold up a mirror to the restrictive structures of our world with an eye toward transcendence.
    Matt Grobar, Deadline, 10 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • But as Sargeant argues, drawing on an essay by the conservative writer Felix James Miller, treating a husband as only a provider reduces him to a fungible funding source, rather than an integral part of a family with his own unique contributions to make.
    Anna Louie Sussman, The Atlantic, 7 Nov. 2025
  • Dakota Johnson, a Valentino ambassador who also stars in the campaign, sung McRae's praises in an accompanying essay.
    Michelle Lee, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • The growing acceptance of Indian design is one reason Bohra no longer resists the Made in India label.
    Victoria Gomelsky, Robb Report, 9 Nov. 2025
  • The largest maritime manufacturing company in Indonesia, PT Pal has advantages in the design and construction capabilities of naval vessels, commercial vessels, and general engineering.
    Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 9 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • No is poet Idea Vilariño’s final masterpiece, where poetry becomes both refusal and resilience.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Nov. 2025
  • Smith’s diving interception, which would have essentially put away an eventual 27-19 victory over the Minnesota Vikings and added an exclamation point to a defensive masterpiece by Baltimore, didn’t count.
    Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Composition.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/composition. Accessed 30 Nov. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on composition

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!