compile

verb

com·​pile kəm-ˈpī(-ə)l 

compiled; compiling

transitive verb

1

: to compose out of materials from other documents

compile a statistical chart

2

: to collect and edit into a volume

compile a book of poems

3

: to build up gradually

compiled a record of four wins and two losses

4

: to run (something, such as a program) through a compiler

Synonyms of compile

• collect

Examples of compile in a Sentence

He compiled a book of poems.

She compiled a list of names.

They took the best submissions and compiled them in a single issue of the magazine.

We compiled our findings in the report.

Recent Examples on the Web

With all that in mind, THR has compiled a look at some of the more unusual-sounding films unspooling at PÖFF 2026 below. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 30 Oct. 2026

Before a program can run, the code people write in a programming language such as Python has to be translated, or compiled, into binary, a sequence of 1’s and 0’s that actually tells the computer what to do. — Peter Hall, Scientific American, 30 Oct. 2026

After the release of the Pentagon Papers, which was a secret history of the Vietnam War compiled by figures in the Johnson administration, Richard Nixon is enraged. — Dustin Desoto, Vox, 30 Oct. 2026

The panel also questioned the accuracy of the government’s data, which was compiled by cross-checking portions of California’s voter rolls, purchased by an undisclosed party, against government immigration records. — Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 30 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French compiler, from Latin compilare to plunder

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for compile

• argyle
• awhile
• beguile
• condyle
• defile
• erstwhile
• exile
• freestyle
• gentile
• hairstyle
• lifestyle
• meanwhile

Kids Definition

compile

verb

com·​pile kəm-ˈpīl 

compiled; compiling

1

: to collect into a volume or list

compile a book of poems

2

: to put together in a new form out of materials from other books or documents

compile a history of India

3

: to translate (as a computer program) with a compiler