Definitions for composition
ˌkɒm pəˈzɪʃ əncom·po·si·tion

Princeton's WordNet(3.27 / 11 votes)Rate this definition:

1. composition, composing(noun)

   the spatial property resulting from the arrangement of parts in relation to each other and to the whole

   "harmonious composition is essential in a serious work of art"

2. constitution, composition, physical composition, makeup, make-up(noun)

   the way in which someone or something is composed

3. composition(noun)

   a mixture of ingredients

4. musical composition, opus, composition, piece, piece of music(noun)

   a musical work that has been created

   "the composition is written in four movements"

5. composing, composition(noun)

   musical creation

6. writing, authorship, composition, penning(noun)

   the act of creating written works

   "writing was a form of therapy for him"; "it was a matter of disputed authorship"

7. typography, composition(noun)

   art and technique of printing with movable type

8. composition, paper, report, theme(noun)

   an essay (especially one written as an assignment)

   "he got an A on his composition"

9. composition(noun)

   something that is created by arranging several things to form a unified whole

   "he envied the composition of their faculty"

Wiktionary(3.50 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. composition(Noun)

   The proportion of different parts to make a whole.

   Etymology: From compositio.

2. composition(Noun)

   The general makeup of something.

   Etymology: From compositio.

3. composition(Noun)

   An agreement or treaty used to settle differences; later especially, an agreement to stop hostilities; a truce.

   Etymology: From compositio.

4. composition(Noun)

   An agreement to pay money in order to clear a liability or obligation; a settling.

   Etymology: From compositio.

5. composition(Noun)

   A mixture or compound; the result of composing.

   Etymology: From compositio.

6. composition(Noun)

   An essay.

   Etymology: From compositio.

7. composition(Noun)

   The formation of compound words from separate words.

   Etymology: From compositio.

8. composition(Noun)

   A work of music, literature or art.

   Etymology: From compositio.

9. composition(Noun)

   typesetting.

   Etymology: From compositio.

Webster Dictionary(4.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Composition(noun)

   the act or art of composing, or forming a whole or integral, by placing together and uniting different things, parts, or ingredients

   Etymology: [F. composition, fr. L. compositio. See Composite.]

2. Composition(noun)

   the invention or combination of the parts of any literary work or discourse, or of a work of art; as, the composition of a poem or a piece of music

   Etymology: [F. composition, fr. L. compositio. See Composite.]

3. Composition(noun)

   the art or practice of so combining the different parts of a work of art as to produce a harmonious whole; also, a work of art considered as such. See 4, below

   Etymology: [F. composition, fr. L. compositio. See Composite.]

4. Composition(noun)

   the act of writing for practice in a language, as English, Latin, German, etc

   Etymology: [F. composition, fr. L. compositio. See Composite.]

5. Composition(noun)

   the setting up of type and arranging it for printing

   Etymology: [F. composition, fr. L. compositio. See Composite.]

6. Composition(noun)

   the state of being put together or composed; conjunction; combination; adjustment

   Etymology: [F. composition, fr. L. compositio. See Composite.]

7. Composition(noun)

   a mass or body formed by combining two or more substances; as, a chemical composition

   Etymology: [F. composition, fr. L. compositio. See Composite.]

8. Composition(noun)

   a literary, musical, or artistic production, especially one showing study and care in arrangement; -- often used of an elementary essay or translation done as an educational exercise

   Etymology: [F. composition, fr. L. compositio. See Composite.]

9. Composition(noun)

   consistency; accord; congruity

   Etymology: [F. composition, fr. L. compositio. See Composite.]

10. Composition(noun)

    mutual agreement to terms or conditions for the settlement of a difference or controversy; also, the terms or conditions of settlement; agreement

    Etymology: [F. composition, fr. L. compositio. See Composite.]

11. Composition(noun)

    the adjustment of a debt, or avoidance of an obligation, by some form of compensation agreed on between the parties; also, the sum or amount of compensation agreed upon in the adjustment

    Etymology: [F. composition, fr. L. compositio. See Composite.]

12. Composition(noun)

    synthesis as opposed to analysis

    Etymology: [F. composition, fr. L. compositio. See Composite.]

Freebase(4.00 / 3 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Composition

   In the visual arts – in particular painting, graphic design, photography and sculpture – composition is the placement or arrangement of visual elements or ingredients in a work of art, as distinct from the subject of a work. It can also be thought of as the organization of the elements of art according to the principles of art. The term composition means 'putting together,' and can apply to any work of art, from music to writing to photography, that is arranged or put together using conscious thought. In the visual arts, composition is often used interchangeably with various terms such as design, form, visual ordering, or formal structure, depending on the context. In graphic design for press and desktop publishing composition is commonly referred to as page layout. These paintings all show the same subject, the Raising of Lazarus, and essentially the same figures, but have very different compositions: ⁕ Duccio, 1310-11 ⁕ Geertgen tot Sint Jans, 1480s ⁕ Guercino, c. 1619 ⁕ Rembrandt, c. 1630

Editors Contribution(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. composition

   The act and process of to compose.

   The composition was simple, easy and effective.

   Submitted by MaryC on March 20, 2020  

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'composition' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #3951

2. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'composition' in Nouns Frequency: #1472

How to pronounce composition?

1. Alex

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

How to say composition in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of composition in Chaldean Numerology is: 5

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of composition in Pythagorean Numerology is: 4

Examples of composition in a Sentence

1. Johanna Teske:

   Future space-based telescopes like WFIRST might be able to observe reflected light from Barnard's star off of the planet, and thus tell us something about the composition of the surface and/or atmosphere of the planet.

2. Mark Bissell:

   Our investment has actually gone up, but the composition has shifted.

3. Chair Mary Jo White:

   It is not enough ... to simply identify, monitor and evaluate, a broader set of proactive initiatives is required to help ensure that our regulatory program is fully addressing the increasingly complex portfolio composition and operations of today's asset management industry.

4. Jaroslaw Kaczynski:

   A particularly dark role was played by Donald Tusk, who conducted negotiations with the British and in fact contributed to them getting nothing, hence, he is directly responsible for Brexit and should simply disappear from European politics. But this concerns the whole of European Commission in its present composition.

5. Charles Elson:

   That change is seemingly cosmetic in nature, he will still control the composition of the board.

Images & Illustrations of composition

Popularity rank by frequency of use