compositions

plural of composition
1
as in works
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 articles
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 layouts
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 essays
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 compositions But Masumura’s manner is raw and harsh, a cinematic parallel to pulp fiction, with intense emotional and physical violence, candid and heated eroticism, hectic performances, and luridly skewed visual compositions. Richard Brody, New Yorker, 2 Oct. 2025 There are sonic through lines between Chernobyl and her scores for Todd Field’s Tár or Sarah Polley’s Women Talking, and with Gudnadóttir’s original compositions. Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2025 Of course, that would be a very good trick, since Laufey is still just 26-years old — and these are original compositions. Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 30 Sep. 2025 Its compositions include dense forests of baritone guitar and an opulent 25-person chamber orchestra. Allaire Nuss, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Sep. 2025 Tasmanian landscape photographer Joy Kachina captures textures and shapes in stunning artistic compositions, and her work has earned her the title of Photographer of the year and a US$5,000 cash prize. Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 28 Sep. 2025 Cardinale’s blends are often referred to as mountain wines because of the predominance of high-altitude fruit in their compositions. Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 28 Sep. 2025 Her voice, still more often than not, slides with ease into the cracks and crevices that kick drums and deep grooves open in neotraditional-style country compositions. Marcus K. Dowling, Nashville Tennessean, 27 Sep. 2025 Greenwood performed many of the album’s compositions on piano, guitar, bass, percussion, and ondes Martenot, and he was joined by the London Contemporary Orchestra and conductor Hugh Brunt. Matthew Strauss, Pitchfork, 26 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compositions
Noun
  • The Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) has named multidisciplinary artist Nilbar Güreş, known for her humorous, poetic, yet critical works commenting on social topics, as Turkey’s representative to the Sixty-First Venice Biennale, set to take place May 9–November 22, 2026.
    News Desk, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Players will learn tactics for every map and game mode included in the Beta, explore how in-game progression works and discover which rewards will carry over to the full launch.
    Andrew McGowan, Variety, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Without granting anonymity, articles such as this one could not exist.
    Josh Robbins, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Through rigorous policies, editorial standards, user privacy protections, and transparent processes, nearly 260,000 volunteers have created over 65 million articles in 300 languages.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 6 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Yet there still could be tweaks to things such as the layouts of some facilities, buildings and internal streets as the city and other agencies sign off on various permits.
    Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Sep. 2025
  • Fundamentally, the issue arises because windows are permanent structural elements, whereas seat layouts can change based on airline preferences.
    Iona Brannon, Travel + Leisure, 29 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • In the critical texts and curatorial essays reprinted here, Enwezor repeatedly engaged with artists who were on their own conscious or unconscious quests for identities that could not be reduced to their appearances or to the way their lives had been historicized.
    Simon Njami, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Her early essays, written through a Marxian lens, proclaimed revolutionary socialism as justice’s true path.
    Shai Tubali, Big Think, 30 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • His mother, Mina, was a concert pianist and opera singer who became a piano teacher after her husband died in 1943.
    Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 23 Sep. 2025
  • The unapologetically campy awards ceremony features miniature operas, scientific demos, and the 24/7 lectures whereby experts must explain their work twice: once in 24 seconds and the second in just seven words.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 18 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Lately, some intriguing research papers have tackled this problem — a reminder that there may still be some fundamental breakthroughs that could upend the industry.
    Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Many of these papers included advertisements and charged a subscription fee.
    Joshua Finnell, JSTOR Daily, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Those attributes — earning Piccioli a reputation in fashion as one of its great romantics — were also apparent in his designs for Balenciaga, which incorporated plenty of thoughtful details that referenced the archive.
    Kati Chitrakorn, CNN Money, 5 Oct. 2025
  • The coveted lineup boasts warm wood pieces, modern designs, clean lines, and accessible price points that offer a calming, cohesive aesthetic.
    Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Get Morning Squawk directly in your inbox CNBC's Morning Squawk recaps the biggest stories investors should know before the stock market opens, every weekday morning.
    Alex Harring, CNBC, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Don't miss out on our latest stories.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 30 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Compositions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compositions. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on compositions

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!