Meanings
verbcompose (third-person singular simple present composes, present participle composing, simple past and past participle composed)
present singular third person composes · participle present composing · participle past composed · past composed
- transitiveTo make something by merging parts.First known use later 15th c.
The editor composed a historical journal from many individual letters.
1 more example
December 22 1678, Thomas Sprat, A Sermon Preached before the King at White-Hall Zeal ought to be composed of the highest degrees of all pious affection.
- transitiveTo make up the whole; to constitute.
A church is composed of its members.
1 more example
A few useful things […] compose their intellectual possessions.
1741, I[saac] Watts, The Improvement of the Mind: Or, A Supplement to the Art of Logick: […], London: […] James Brackstone, […], →OCLCSynonyms: constitute
- nonstandardtransitiveTo comprise.
- intransitivetransitiveTo construct by mental labor; to think up; particularly, to produce or create a literary or musical work.
The orator composed his speech over the week prior.
4 more examples
Nine numbered symphonies, including the Fifth, were composed by Beethoven.
It's difficult to compose without absolute silence.
Let me […] compose / Something in Verse as true as Prose.
1714, Alexander Pope, Imitation of Horace, Book II. Sat. 6the genius that composed such works as the "Standard" and "Last Supper"
1838, Benjamin Haydon, Painting, and the fine arts - reflexivesometimesTo calm; to free from agitation.
Try to compose your thoughts.
2 more examples
The defendant couldn't compose herself and was found in contempt.
Compose thy mind; / Nor frauds are here contrived, nor force designed.
1697, Virgil, “(please specify the book number)”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC - To arrange the elements of a photograph or other picture.
- To settle (an argument, dispute etc.); to come to a settlement.
By trying his best to compose matters with the mullahs, he had sincerely shown that he did not seek a violent collision […]
2010, Christopher Hitchens, Hitch-22, Atlantic, published 2011, page 280 - To arrange in proper form; to reduce to order; to put in proper state or condition.
In a peaceful grave my corpse compose.
1697, Virgil, “(please specify the book number)”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC1 more example
How in safety best we may / Compose our present evils.
1667, John Milton, “Book II”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo make up the whole; to constitute.
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Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latincomponere“to put together, compose”
- Old Frenchcomposer“to compose, compound, adjust, settle”
- Middle Englishcomposen
- Englishcompose
From Middle English composen, from Old French composer (“to compose, compound, adjust, settle”), from com- + poser, as an adaptation of Latin componere (“to put together, compose”), from com- (“together”) + ponere (“to put, place”).
More words from Middle English, Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek συντάσσω
- συντάσσω (suntássō)to make something by merging parts
Arabic أَلَّفَ
- أَلَّفَ (ʔallafa)to construct by mental labor; to think up
Bulgarian съста́вям, образувам
- съста́вям (săstávjam)to make something by merging parts
- образувам (obrazuvam)to make up the whole; to constitute
- съставям се от (săstavjam se ot)to make up the whole; to constitute
- съчинявам (săčinjavam)to construct by mental labor; to think up
- творя (tvorja)to construct by mental labor; to think up
- успокоявам (uspokojavam)to calm oneself down
- композирам (kompoziram)to arrange the elements of a picture
Catalan compondre, compondre
- compondreto make something by merging parts
- compondreto construct by mental labor; to think up
Chinese Mandarin 創作 /创作, 整理
- 創作 /创作 (chuàngzuò)to make something by merging parts
- 整理 (zhěnglǐ)to make something by merging parts
- 作曲 (zuòqǔ)to make something by merging parts
- 編寫 /编写 (biānxiě)to make something by merging parts
- 組成 /组成 (zǔchéng)to make up the whole; to constitute
- 構成 /构成 (gòuchéng)to make up the whole; to constitute
- 組成 /组成 (zǔchéng)to comprise
- 構成 /构成 (gòuchéng)to comprise
- 創作 /创作 (chuàngzuò)to construct by mental labor; to think up
- 整理 (zhěnglǐ)to construct by mental labor; to think up
- 作曲 (zuòqǔ)to construct by mental labor; to think up
- 編寫 /编写 (biānxiě)to construct by mental labor; to think up
Czech sestavit, dát dohromady
- sestavitto make something by merging parts
- dát dohromadyto make up the whole; to constitute
- obsahovatto comprise
- obsáhnoutto comprise
- složitto construct by mental labor; to think up
- vytvořitto construct by mental labor; to think up
- uklidnit seto calm oneself down
- zklidnit seto calm oneself down
- sestavitto arrange the elements of a picture
- naaranžovatto arrange the elements of a picture
Dutch samenstellen, vormen
- samenstellento make something by merging parts
- vormento make up the whole; to constitute
- omvattento comprise
- componerento construct by mental labor; to think up
- redigerento construct by mental labor; to think up
- bedarento calm oneself down
- composerento arrange the elements of a picture
Esperanto konsisti, verki
- konsistito make up the whole; to constitute
- verkito construct by mental labor; to think up
Estonian koostama, moodustama
- koostamato make something by merging parts
- moodustamato make up the whole; to constitute
- sisaldamato comprise
- loomato construct by mental labor; to think up
- rahunemato calm oneself down
Finnish koota, koostaa
- kootato make something by merging parts
- koostaato make something by merging parts
- muodostaato make up the whole; to constitute
- käsittääto comprise
- muodostaato comprise
- luodato construct by mental labor; to think up
- säveltääto construct by mental labor; to think up
- rauhoittuato calm oneself down
- sommitellato arrange the elements of a picture
French composer, composer
- composerto make something by merging parts
- composerto make up the whole; to constitute
- composerto construct by mental labor; to think up
German zusammenstellen, zusammensetzen
- zusammenstellento make something by merging parts
- zusammensetzento make something by merging parts
- komponierento make something by merging parts
- enthaltento comprise
- umfasstto comprise
- einschliessento comprise
- abfassento construct by mental labor; to think up
- verfassento construct by mental labor; to think up
- komponierento construct by mental labor; to think up
- sich fassento calm oneself down
- sich beruhigento calm oneself down
- zusammenstellento arrange the elements of a picture
Greek συνθέτω, συνθέτω
- συνθέτω (synthéto)to make something by merging parts
- συνθέτω (synthéto)to make up the whole; to constitute
- απαρτίζω (apartízo)to make up the whole; to constitute
- συμπεριλαμβάνω (symperilamváno)to comprise
- περιέχω (periécho)to comprise
- περιλαμβάνω (perilamváno)to comprise
- συνθέτω (synthéto)to construct by mental labor; to think up
- ηρεμώ (iremó)to calm oneself down
- συνέρχομαι (synérchomai)to calm oneself down
Hebrew חיבר, הלחין
- חיבר (khibér)to construct by mental labor; to think up
- הלחין (hilkhín)to construct by mental labor; to think up
Hindi रचना, कृति
- रचना (racnā)to construct by mental labor; to think up
- कृति (kŕti)to construct by mental labor; to think up
Hungarian lecsillapodik
- lecsillapodikto calm oneself down
Icelandic semja
- semjato construct by mental labor; to think up
Irish cum
- cumto construct by mental labor; to think up
Italian comporre
- comporreto make something by merging parts
Latin compingō, compono
- compingōto make something by merging parts
- componoto make something by merging parts
- compōnōto construct by mental labor; to think up
Polish składać, złożyć
- składaćto make something by merging parts
- złożyćto make something by merging parts
- składać sięto make up the whole; to constitute
- złożyć sięto make up the whole; to constitute
- składać się zto comprise
- złożyć się zto comprise
- wymyślaćto construct by mental labor; to think up
- wymyślićto construct by mental labor; to think up
- wynajdowaćto construct by mental labor; to think up
- wynaleźćto construct by mental labor; to think up
- opanowywać sięto calm oneself down
- opanować sięto calm oneself down
Portuguese compor, montar
- comporto make something by merging parts
- montarto make something by merging parts
- comporto make up the whole; to constitute
- constituirto make up the whole; to constitute
- compor-se de)to comprise
- comporto construct by mental labor; to think up
- recompor-seto calm oneself down
- comporto arrange the elements of a picture
Romanian compune, compune
- compuneto make something by merging parts
- compuneto make up the whole; to constitute
Russian составля́ть, соста́вить
- составля́ть (sostavljátʹ)to make something by merging parts
- соста́вить (sostávitʹ)to make something by merging parts
- собира́ть (sobirátʹ)to make something by merging parts
- составля́ть (sostavljátʹ)to make up the whole; to constitute
- соста́вить (sostávitʹ)to make up the whole; to constitute
- состоя́ть (sostojátʹ)to make up the whole; to constitute
- сочиня́ть (sočinjátʹ)to construct by mental labor; to think up
- сочини́ть (sočinítʹ)to construct by mental labor; to think up
- писа́ть (pisátʹ)to construct by mental labor; to think up
- написа́ть (napisátʹ)to construct by mental labor; to think up
- собира́ться (sobirátʹsja)to calm oneself down
- собра́ться (sobrátʹsja)to calm oneself down
Spanish componer, conformar
- componerto make something by merging parts
- conformarto make up the whole; to constitute
- constar deto comprise
- componerse deto comprise
- componerto construct by mental labor; to think up
- sosegarseto calm oneself down
- componerto arrange the elements of a picture
Tagalog bumuo
- bumuoto make something by merging parts
Turkish bestelemek, bestelemek
- bestelemekto make something by merging parts
- bestelemekto construct by mental labor; to think up
Ukrainian склада́ти, скла́сти
- склада́ти (skladáty)to make something by merging parts
- скла́сти (sklásty)to make something by merging parts
- компонува́ти (komponuváty)to make something by merging parts
- скомпонува́ти (skomponuváty)to make something by merging parts
- склада́ти (skladáty)to construct by mental labor; to think up
- скла́сти (sklásty)to construct by mental labor; to think up
- компонува́ти (komponuváty)to construct by mental labor; to think up
- скомпонува́ти (skomponuváty)to construct by mental labor; to think up
Vietnamese phổ, sáng tác
- phổto make something by merging parts
- sáng tácto make something by merging parts
- soạn thảoto construct by mental labor; to think up
- biên soạnto construct by mental labor; to think up
- soạnto construct by mental labor; to think up
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with compose
closegoesosrosefollowsclothesknowsJosedosnosechosehoseproposediscloseposeimposefellowsopposeexposeprosebosedisposeencloseslows
All rhymes →Cite this entry
APA
compose. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/compose
MLA
“compose.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/compose. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “compose,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/compose.
Source: compose on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.