First Known Use: 14th century
Dictionary
composition
noun com·po·si·tion \ˌkäm-pə-ˈzi-shən\
: the way in which something is put together or arranged : the combination of parts or elements that make up something
: a piece of writing; especially : a brief essay written as a school assignment
: a written piece of music and especially one that is very long or complex
Full Definition of COMPOSITION
1
a : the act or process of composing; specifically : arrangement into specific proportion or relation and especially into artistic form b (1) : the arrangement of type for printing <hand composition> (2) : the production of type or typographic characters (as in photocomposition) arranged for printing
2
3
: mutual settlement or agreement
4
: a product of mixing or combining various elements or ingredients
5
: an intellectual creation: as a : a piece of writing; especially : a school exercise in the form of a brief essay b : a written piece of music especially of considerable size and complexity
6
: the quality or state of being compound
7
: the operation of forming a composite function; also : composite function
— com·po·si·tion·al \-ˈzish-nəl, -ˈzi-shə-nəl\ adjective
— com·po·si·tion·al·ly adverb
See composition defined for English-language learners
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Origin of COMPOSITION
Middle English composicioun, from Anglo-French composicion, from Latin composition-, compositio, from componere
Other Printing Terms
Rhymes with COMPOSITION
acoustician, acquisition, admonition, aesthetician, air-condition, ammunition, apparition, apposition, coalition, co-edition, competition, cosmetician, decommission, decondition, definition, demolition, deposition, dietitian, disposition, disquisition, electrician, erudition, exhibition, expedition, exposition, extradition, first edition, imposition, in addition, inanition, in commission, inhibition, inquisition, intermission, intromission, intuition, linguistician, logistician, malnutrition, malposition, manumission, mathematician, mechanician, micturition, obstetrician, on commission, opposition, Ordovician, parturition, politician, precognition, precondition, premonition, preposition, proposition, recognition, recondition, repetition, requisition, rescue mission, rhetorician, self-ignition, statistician, submunition, superstition, supposition, text edition, trade edition, transposition
COMPOSITIONALLY Defined for Kids
composition
noun com·po·si·tion \ˌkäm-pə-ˈzi-shən\
Definition of COMPOSITION for Kids
1
: a short piece of writing done as a school exercise
2
: the act of writing words or music
3
: the manner in which the parts of a thing are put together : makeup, constitution <The president discussed the population's changing composition.> <Each rock has a slightly different composition.>
4
: a literary, musical, or artistic production
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