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 None of the group's other compositions have cracked 300 frames, but all of them have held on for years. Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026 The screen is big, the image is sharp and bright, but Nolan’s visual compositions are dull—just pictures of actors acting, without style or poetry—and his fetish for size is just bombast and vanity. Caroline Mimbs Nyce, New Yorker, 17 July 2026 The music will draw heavily from Emmy Award-winning composer Jeremy Zuckerman’s iconic compositions, which have elevated the series’ modern setting and complex themes. Charlie Vargas, Daily News, 16 July 2026 Rather than raging in the punk tradition, her voice is an elegant and flexible participant in the compositions. Lawrence Burney, Pitchfork, 16 July 2026 Lucky’s initial escape through a casino floor is shot predominantly in midrange close-ups, with no experimentation in building tension through unexpected compositions or cuts. Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 15 July 2026 Her compositions are often marked by her love of long, slow glissandi, string instruments sliding, sometimes languorously, sometimes dramatically, up and down in ways that can be haunting and disorienting, but always captivating and entrancing. Steve Hochman, SPIN, 15 July 2026 That’s not to mention an upcoming summer of local and national festivities that promises fireworks, parades, bands, speeches, prizes, and commemorative everything, from postage stamps and coins to musical compositions. Brenda Wineapple, The New York Review of Books, 4 July 2026 Not enough people look back to the ancient world, which is more associated with epic poetry about gods and war than prose compositions. Literary Hub, 30 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compositions
Noun
  • Its catalog includes works of German literature and translations from French English, and Icelandic, notably the work of Nobel Laureate Halldór Laxness.
    News Desk, Artforum, 16 July 2026
  • How perimenopause supplement stacking works A stack is a modular set of supplements chosen for symptoms rather than a one-size-fits-all multivitamin.
    Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 16 July 2026
Noun
  • Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.
    Abigail Williams, NBC news, 16 July 2026
  • The update removes cattle hides, skins and leather from the scope of regulation, along with re-treaded tires, soybeans for sowing, articles of vulcanized rubber, conveyor and transmission belts, and aircraft and automobile seats.
    Jennifer Bringle, Footwear News, 16 July 2026
Noun
  • The seating design is commonplace on many European airlines, which use similar layouts in their short- and medium-haul business class cabins.
    Scott Laird, Travel + Leisure, 17 July 2026
  • The charming 1,200-square-foot condo features individual rooms, ideal for buyers looking for an alternative to open-concept layouts.
    Rachel Freundt, Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2026
Noun
  • Odette Estate is named in homage to characters from Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake and essays by Proust because the moniker represents grace and triumph.
    Mike DeSimone, Robb Report, 17 July 2026
  • Included in the set is a 96-page book with photos, new essays by Lemieux and Nicholas Meriwether, executive director of the Grateful Dead Studies Association, and artwork by multidisciplinary artist Marcos Alvarado.
    Mike Snider, USA Today, 15 July 2026
Noun
  • While members of Congress have proposed several pieces of legislation to address the issue, almost none of those bills have been brought up for a vote, according to the PROMISE Act proposal released Wednesday.
    Lorie Konish, CNBC, 14 July 2026
  • Ultimately, much of the score for The Odyssey starts off with sounds emerging organically from the film’s environment that then gather into lovely, powerful pieces of music.
    Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 14 July 2026
Noun
  • Five people entered the business and one threatened an employee with a handgun while the others stole boxes containing vaping devices, cartridges and dozens of packs of rolling papers, police said.
    Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 20 July 2026
  • Wind, too, considers a quest for box and papers to be misguided.
    Victoria Gomelsky, Robb Report, 20 July 2026
Noun
  • But scrutiny of the project intensified after preliminary designs were released late last year.
    DJ Simmons, Charlotte Observer, 16 July 2026
  • Though not archaeological, the designs tapped into a related appetite for inherited craft and materials with ephemera from the past.
    Thomas Waller, Footwear News, 16 July 2026
Noun
  • Every day, Cord Shiflet drives 200 miles round trip from Austin, helping survivors tell their stories, connecting them with resources and raising more than $50,000 for affected families through Facebook.
    Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
  • Their service stories had many similarities, and their appreciation for their Honor Flight experience was wonderful to hear about.
    Tom Strong, Chicago Tribune, 19 July 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Compositions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compositions. Accessed 21 Jul. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on compositions

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster