composition

[ kom-puh-zish-uh n ]

/ ˌkɒm pəˈzɪʃ ən /

noun

the act of combining parts or elements to form a whole.

the resulting state or product.

manner of being composed; structure: This painting has an orderly composition.

makeup; constitution: His moral composition was impeccable.

an aggregate material formed from two or more substances: a composition of silver and tin.

a short essay written as a school exercise.

the act or process of producing a literary work.

an academic course for teaching the techniques of clear, expository writing.

the art of putting words and sentences together in accordance with the rules of grammar and rhetoric.

a piece of music.

the art of composing music.

Fine Arts. the organization or grouping of the different parts of a work of art so as to achieve a unified whole.

Grammar. the formation of compounds or derivatives: the composition of “aircraft” from “air” and “craft.”

a settlement by mutual agreement.

an agreement or compromise, especially one by which a creditor or group of creditors accepts partial payment from a debtor.

a sum of money so paid.

Printing.

the setting up of type for printing.
Also called pagination. the makeup of pages for printing.

Mathematics. the process of making a composite function of two given functions.

Origin of composition

1350–1400; Middle English composicioun < Anglo-French < Latin compositiōn- (stem of compositiō), equivalent to composit(us) (see composite) + -iōn- -ion

OTHER WORDS FROM composition

com·po·si·tion·al, adjective com·po·si·tion·al·ly, adverb com·pos·i·tive

[kuh m-poz-i-tiv] /kəmˈpɒz ɪ tɪv/, adjective com·pos·i·tive·ly, adverb

Words nearby composition

composite photograph, composite print, composite school, composite shot, composite volcano, composition, composition of forces, composition series, compositor, compossible, compost

Example sentences from the Web for compositional

And suddenly the compositional weight of the work made perfect sense.

Robert Hughes: A Fierce Critic and Powerful Voice Now Silenced |Simon Schama |August 10, 2012 |DAILY BEAST
It is not an easy problem to fit the compositional lines of a group into a circular frame.

Tuscan Sculpture of the Fifteenth Century |Estelle M. Hurll
The compositional figure on which he builds will alone give us the substance of his character.

Modern Painting, Its Tendency and Meaning |Willard Huntington Wright
I found it heavy, I confess, though in the mechanical part of the writing—the compositional savoir faire—there is an advance.

The Letters of Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1 of 2) |Frederic G. Kenyon

These are the local, the architectural, the compositional commonplaces.

Italian Hours |Henry James
Reynolds's compositional schemes are of an academic elegance reminiscent of Raphael.

Sir Joshua Reynolds |Estelle M. Hurll

British Dictionary definitions for compositional

composition

/ (ˌkɒmpəˈzɪʃən) /

noun

the act of putting together or making up by combining parts or ingredients

something formed in this manner or the resulting state or quality; a mixture

the parts of which something is composed or made up; constitution

a work of music, art, or literature

the harmonious arrangement of the parts of a work of art in relation to each other and to the whole

a piece of writing undertaken as an academic exercise in grammatically acceptable writing; an essay

printing the act or technique of setting up type

linguistics the formation of compound words

logic the fallacy of inferring that the properties of the part are also true of the whole, as every member of the team has won a prize, so the team will win a prize

a settlement by mutual consent, esp a legal agreement whereby the creditors agree to accept partial payment of a debt in full settlement
the sum so agreed

chem the nature and proportions of the elements comprising a chemical compound

Derived forms of composition

compositional, adjective

Word Origin for composition

C14: from Old French, from Latin compositus; see composite, -ion

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

composition

noun

Origin of composition

OTHER WORDS FROM composition

Words nearby composition

Example sentences from the Web for compositional

British Dictionary definitions for compositional

noun

Derived forms of composition

Word Origin for composition

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

composition

noun

Origin of composition

OTHER WORDS FROM composition

Words nearby composition

Example sentences from the Web for compositional

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noun

Derived forms of composition

Word Origin for composition

British Dictionary definitions for compositional