composition

noun

Saykom-puh-ZISH-uhn/ˌkɑmpəˈzɪʃən/UK/ˌkɒmpəˈzɪʃən/

Pluralcompositions (some meanings)

18 meanings of composition

1
noununcountable
The mix of parts that make up a thing or person.
Like a list of all the things that go into making a cake.
The composition of the class changed when new students joined.
We looked at the composition of the rock to see what it was made of.
Similarmakeup, constitution, structure, nature, character
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2
noununcountable
The amount of each part that makes up a whole.
Like a recipe that says how much of each ingredient to use.
The composition of the alloy is mostly copper with a little tin.
Changing the composition of the recipe made the bread softer.
Similarmakeup, constitution, breakdown, profile
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3
nouncountable
A piece of music, writing, or art that someone has made.
The orchestra performed a new composition by a local musician.
Her latest composition blends jazz and folk styles.
Similarwork, piece, opus, creation
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4
nouncountable or uncountable
A mixture made by combining different things.
Like mixing sand, water, and cement to make concrete.
The builders used a rubbery composition to seal the windows.
A composition of clay and straw was used to make bricks.
Similarcompound, mixture, composite, blend
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5
nouncountable
A short piece of writing about a subject, often done for school.
The teacher asked us to write a composition about our summer.
She got a good grade on her composition.
Similaressay, paper, piece, assignment
6
noununcountable
The act of putting parts together to make something.
Like building something by fitting all the pieces together.
The composition of the report took several weeks.
She enjoys the composition of new songs in her spare time.
Similarcreation, writing, assembly, compilation, construction
7
nouncountable or uncountable
The way the parts of a picture are arranged.
Like arranging furniture in a room so it looks balanced and pleasing.
The photographer changed the composition by moving the subject to one side.
Good composition makes a painting feel balanced.
Similararrangement, layout, framing, design
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8
noununcountable
Making new words by joining two or more words together.
Like joining two train cars to make one longer train.
English builds many new words through composition, like "toothbrush."
The word "bedroom" came from the composition of "bed" and "room."
Similarcompounding
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9
nouncountable or uncountable
Joining two functions so the answer from one becomes the input for the other.
Like feeding one machine's output straight into a second machine.
In class we learned how composition lets us chain two functions together.
The composition of the two functions gives a single new rule.
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10
noununcountable
The act of building something up from parts, instead of breaking it down.
Like building a tower from small blocks instead of taking one apart.
He used composition to put the small parts together into one whole.
The teacher showed composition by joining simple ideas into a bigger one.
Similarsynthesis
Oppositeanalysis
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11
noununcountable
A way to build complex objects by holding simpler ones inside them.
Like making a toy robot by joining smaller pieces such as arms and legs.
With composition, a car object can hold an engine object inside it.
They used composition to build a player object out of smaller parts.
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12
noununcountable
The way two forces or speeds combine into one that has the same effect.
Like two people pushing a cart from different sides: it moves as if from one push.
The composition of the two pushes made one stronger push on the cart.
We used composition to combine the boat's speed and the river's flow into one.
Similarcombination
Oppositeresolution
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13
noununcountable
The work of setting up letters and words so a page is ready to print.
Like lining up letter blocks to spell out a whole page before printing it.
The composition of the book took several days at the print shop.
She learned composition, placing each letter in order for printing.
Similartypesetting
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14
nouncountable
A deal where people who are owed money agree to take only part of it.
Like agreeing to take half of what a friend owes so the matter is closed.
The store owner made a composition with the people he owed, paying half.
They agreed to a composition so the debtor could pay back only part of the loan.
Similarsettlement, arrangement, compromise
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15
nounobsoletecountable
A payment made to clear a debt or pay a fine.
Like paying a set amount to wipe out a bill once and for all.
He paid a composition to clear what he owed the landlord.
Insidious death! should his strong hand arrest, No composition sets the prisoner free.
1742, [Edward Young], “Night the”Here, composition means a payment made to settle a debt and win release.
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16
nounobsoletecountable
An agreement made to settle a quarrel or to stop fighting.
Like two groups shaking hands on a deal to stop arguing.
The two sides made a composition to end the fighting.
It will stoope and yeeld upon better compositions to him that shall make head against it.
1603, Michel de Montaigne, The EssayesHere, compositions means agreements or deals that settle a fight.
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17
nounobsoleteuncountable
A state of things fitting together or agreeing well.
There is no composition in these news That gives them credit.
c. 1603, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”Here, composition means consistency, how well the parts of the news agree.
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18
nounobsoleteSingaporecountable
A payment made to settle a small criminal charge.
Like paying a fine on the spot so a small offense is settled.
He paid a composition to settle the minor charge against him.
A small composition let the man avoid going to court.
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Practice

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Origin

This word came through Old French from Latin, from a Latin word for putting things together.