component

com·po·nent
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UK/kəmˈpəʊ.nənt/US/kəmˈpoʊ.nənt/Canada/kəmˈpoʊ.nɪnt/

noun

A smaller, self-contained part of a larger entity. Often refers to a manufactured object that is part of a larger device.

“a component word”

Similar
constituentelementfactoringredientpartportioncomponent part
OriginLatin compōnēns, compōnēntis →
Very commonScrabble 15
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Meanings

nouncomponent (plural components)

plural components

  1. A smaller, self-contained part of a larger entity. Often refers to a manufactured object that is part of a larger device.

    A CPU is a component of a computer.

    2 more examples

    Oxygen levels on Earth skyrocketed 2.4 billion years ago, when cyanobacteria evolved photosynthesis:[…]. The evolutionary precursor of photosynthesis is still under debate, and a new study sheds light. The critical component of the photosynthetic system is the “water-oxidizing complex”, made up of manganese atoms and a calcium atom.

    2013 September-October, Katie L. Burke, “In the News”, in American Scientist

    Lying is a key component of communism.

    2020 April 17, Yi Yan, “Chinese People Are Victims of the Chinese Communist Party's Lies”, in Minghui
  2. graph theoryA connected subgraph that is not part of any larger connected subgraph.
adjectivecomponent (not comparable)
  1. not comparableMaking up a larger whole.

    a component word

  2. not comparableMade up of smaller complete units in combination.

    a component stereo

Synonyms & antonyms

nounan abstract part of something

Similar
constituentelementfactoringredient
Broader
partsectiondivision

nounsomething determined in relation to something that includes it

Similar
partportioncomponent partconstituent
Broader
relation

nounan artifact that is one of the individual parts of which a composite entity is made up; especially a part that can be separated from or attached to a system

Similar
constituentelement
Broader
partportion
Also see
aspectconstituentelementfactoringredientpartpieceportionradical

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latincompōnēns, compōnēntis
  2. Englishcomponent

Borrowed from Latin compōnēns, compōnēntis, present participle of compōnō (“assemble, put together”).

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic مُكَوِّن, جُزْء
  • مُكَوِّن (mukawwin)smaller, self-contained part of larger entity
  • جُزْء (juzʔ)smaller, self-contained part of larger entity
  • عُنْصُر (ʕunṣur)smaller, self-contained part of larger entity
Bulgarian съста́вна част, компоне́нт
  • съста́вна част (săstávna čast)smaller, self-contained part of larger entity
  • компоне́нт (komponént)smaller, self-contained part of larger entity
Catalan component
  • componentsmaller, self-contained part of larger entity
Chinese Mandarin 元件, 部件
  • 元件 (yuánjiàn)smaller, self-contained part of larger entity
  • 部件 (bùjiàn)smaller, self-contained part of larger entity
Czech součástka
  • součástkasmaller, self-contained part of larger entity
Danish bestanddel, komponent
  • bestanddelsmaller, self-contained part of larger entity
  • komponentsmaller, self-contained part of larger entity
Dutch onderdeel, component
  • onderdeelsmaller, self-contained part of larger entity
  • componentsmaller, self-contained part of larger entity
Esperanto ero, komponanto
  • erosmaller, self-contained part of larger entity
  • komponantosmaller, self-contained part of larger entity
Estonian komponent
  • komponentsmaller, self-contained part of larger entity
Finnish komponentti, rakenneosa
  • komponenttismaller, self-contained part of larger entity
  • rakenneosasmaller, self-contained part of larger entity
  • perusosasmaller, self-contained part of larger entity
French composant
  • composantsmaller, self-contained part of larger entity
German Komponente, Komponenten
  • Komponentesmaller, self-contained part of larger entity
  • Komponentensmaller, self-contained part of larger entity
Greek συστατικό, εξάρτημα
  • συστατικό (systatikó)smaller, self-contained part of larger entity
  • εξάρτημα (exártima)smaller, self-contained part of larger entity
Hebrew מַרְכִּיב, רְכִיב
  • מַרְכִּיב (markív)smaller, self-contained part of larger entity
  • רְכִיב (rekhív)smaller, self-contained part of larger entity
Hungarian rész, komponens
  • részsmaller, self-contained part of larger entity
  • komponenssmaller, self-contained part of larger entity
  • alkotórészsmaller, self-contained part of larger entity
  • összetevősmaller, self-contained part of larger entity
Icelandic hluti
  • hlutismaller, self-contained part of larger entity
Indonesian komponen
  • komponensmaller, self-contained part of larger entity
Italian componente
  • componentesmaller, self-contained part of larger entity
Japanese 部分
  • 部分 (bubun)smaller, self-contained part of larger entity
Korean 부분
  • 부분 (bubun)smaller, self-contained part of larger entity
Latin pars
  • parssmaller, self-contained part of larger entity
Latvian komponents
  • komponentssmaller, self-contained part of larger entity
Malay komponen
  • komponensmaller, self-contained part of larger entity
Māori waehanga
  • waehangasmaller, self-contained part of larger entity
Norwegian Bokmål komponent, bestanddel
  • komponentsmaller, self-contained part of larger entity
  • bestanddelsmaller, self-contained part of larger entity
Polish podzespół
  • podzespółsmaller, self-contained part of larger entity
Portuguese componente
  • componentesmaller, self-contained part of larger entity
Romanian componentă, component
  • componentăsmaller, self-contained part of larger entity
  • componentsmaller, self-contained part of larger entity
Russian компоне́нт, составна́я часть
  • компоне́нт (komponént)smaller, self-contained part of larger entity
  • составна́я часть (sostavnája častʹ)smaller, self-contained part of larger entity
Slovak zložka, súčiastka
  • zložkasmaller, self-contained part of larger entity
  • súčiastkasmaller, self-contained part of larger entity
Spanish componente
  • componentesmaller, self-contained part of larger entity
Swedish komponent, beståndsdel
  • komponentsmaller, self-contained part of larger entity
  • beståndsdelsmaller, self-contained part of larger entity
Tamil பாகம், அங்கம்
  • பாகம் (pākam)smaller, self-contained part of larger entity
  • அங்கம் (aṅkam)smaller, self-contained part of larger entity
Turkish parça, bileşen
  • parçasmaller, self-contained part of larger entity
  • bileşensmaller, self-contained part of larger entity
Ukrainian компоне́нт
  • компоне́нт (komponént)smaller, self-contained part of larger entity
Urdu پُرْزَہ, جُزْو
  • پُرْزَہ (purza)smaller, self-contained part of larger entity
  • جُزْو (juzv)smaller, self-contained part of larger entity
Vietnamese bộ phận
  • bộ phậnsmaller, self-contained part of larger entity
Welsh darn
  • darnsmaller, self-contained part of larger entity
Yiddish קאָמפּאָנענט
  • קאָמפּאָנענט (komponent)smaller, self-contained part of larger entity

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with component

deponentsubcomponentasonantsonant
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

component. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/component

MLA

“component.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/component. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “component,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/component.

Source: component on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.