compose

[ kuhm-pohz ]

verb (used with object)

, com·posed, com·pos·ing.

1. to make or form by combining things, parts, or elements:

   He composed his speech from many research notes.

2. to be or constitute a part or element of:

   a rich sauce composed of many ingredients.

3. to make up or form the basis of:

   Style composes the essence of good writing.

4. to put or dispose in proper form or order:

   to compose laws into a coherent system.

5. Art. to organize the parts or elements of (a picture or the like).
6. to create (a musical, literary, or choreographic work).
7. to end or settle (a quarrel, dispute, etc.):

   The union and management composed their differences.

8. to bring (oneself, one's mind, etc.) to a condition of calmness, repose, etc.; calm; quiet.

   Synonyms: collect, settle

9. Printing.
   1. to set (type).
   2. to set type for (an article, book, etc.).

verb (used without object)

, com·posed, com·pos·ing.

1. to engage in composition, especially musical composition.
2. to enter into composition; fall into an arrangement:

   a scene that composes well.

compose

/ kəmˈpəʊz /

verb

1. to put together or make up by combining; put in proper order
2. to be the component elements of
3. to produce or create (a musical or literary work)
4. intr to write music
5. to calm (someone, esp oneself); make quiet
6. to adjust or settle (a quarrel, etc)
7. to order the elements of (a painting, sculpture, etc); design
8. printing to set up (type)

Other Words From

• com·posa·ble adjective
• uncom·posa·ble adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of compose¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English word from Middle French word composer. See com-, pose ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of compose¹

C15: from Old French composer, from Latin compōnere to put in place; see component

Example Sentences

The day before the closing news dropped, Jake Shears, who composed the musical’s lyrics, celebrated how far “Tammy Faye” has come.

From Los Angeles Times

He wanted a Polish classical composer for “Dracula” and approached Witold Lutosławski — who told Coppola it would take him five years to compose the amount of score required.

From Los Angeles Times

Seeing it all in her head, Warren composed “The Journey” — then saw the film.

From Los Angeles Times

The 45-year-old has been composed during media interviews, giving long and detailed answers as he shares his thoughts about the game.

From BBC

Training data sets and AI models are both composed of matrices, or grids of numbers that are used to store data.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• conceive
• design
• devise
• form
• invent
• orchestrate
• pen
• produce
• set up
• write