composition

noun

ˌkäm-pə-ˈzi-shən How to pronounce composition (audio)
Definition of compositionnext
1
as in piece
a literary, musical, or artistic production the compositions of Michelangelo include the dome of St. Peter's, the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, and his monumental statue of David

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2
as in paper
a short piece of writing done as a school exercise a teacher who is fond of having her class write compositions

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3
as in layout
the way in which the elements of something (as a work of art) are arranged student photographers learn the importance of composition in creating striking images

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4
as in article
a short piece of writing typically expressing a point of view submitted a composition to the local newspaper for its special section marking Martin Luther King Day

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of composition The composition of these jets isn’t crystal clear, but scientists suspect electrons, positrons (the antimatter versions of electrons) and perhaps protons are pulled along swirling magnetic lines before being sent out from the black hole’s poles. — Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026 Kerris had also stressed that filmmaking still requires an understanding of character, composition and story. — Callum McLennan, Variety, 20 Oct. 2026 Scientists would study the composition and mineralogy of the samples collected by the Japanese probe from the Martian moon, comparing them with the chemical fingerprints of Martian rocks and asteroid material. — Muskan Bhatia, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2026 Further clues can be found in the moon's composition, which reveals a relatively small iron core and lower density. — Micah Hanks, Space.com, 19 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for composition
Recent Examples of Synonyms for composition
  1. piece
  2. paper
  3. layout
  4. article
  5. work
  6. essay
  7. design
  8. masterpiece
Noun
  • My prior piece, The Trillion-Dollar Trade Wall Street Isn’t Seeing, argued that every adoption curve is getting shorter than the last.
    — Stephen Messer, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Last night, surrounded by family, Kardashian celebrated her 46th at Tuscan steakhouse Baldi at the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills in two pieces of vintage couture, designed by Paco Rabanne himself.
    — Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of piece
Noun
  • Lamy, now with the Jacques Delors Institute, was one of the authors of a recent policy paper that called for restrictions on Chinese exports using a quota system — an idea that the EU has now embraced.
    — semafor.com, semafor.com, 20 Oct. 2026
  • But the cells that make it, called ameloblasts, break down once a tooth erupts, and a 2014 paper in the Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research explains that mature enamel no longer contains the living cells needed to repair itself.
    — Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of paper
Noun
  • Part of that strategy is to connect with younger consumers, hence a recent partnership with 21-year-old livestreamer iShowSpeed along with innovating with menu items, branding, and store layout.
    — Preston Fore, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Riding Modes Pro introduces a customizable Race Pro mode, along with three additional Sport display layouts showing data such as traction-control intervention, braking force and lean angle.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of layout
Noun
  • This article contains spoilers from popular horror movies and shows.
    — Arryn Robbins, Washington Post, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Information for this article was contributed by Laura Turbay of The Associated Press.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of article
Noun
  • The announcement did not specify when testing would begin or disclose results from previous development work.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Every order completed by a robot represents work that potentially could have gone to a human courier.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of work
Noun
  • Kaia’s post included photos and videos of her and her brother from childhood, along with a lyric essay about their relationship.
    — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 19 Oct. 2026
  • In my disturbance—whether witnessed by a fellow cinema patron or a reader of this essay—I am exposed a second time.
    — Eugenie Brinkema, ARTnews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of essay
Noun
  • Instead of manufacturing and physically testing hundreds of battery designs, engineers used computer models to evaluate more than 300,000 possible configurations before producing a prototype.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The room is a design flex of its own — velvet banquettes, rich purples, cerulean blues, gold and marble, with art exclusively by women.
    — Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of design
Noun
  • The Perfect Prescription is Spacemen 3’s masterpiece, an imperfect record made by one of the last holistically perfect groups of the 20th century.
    — Gabriel Szatan, Pitchfork, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Just be prepared for the machine to spend a considerable amount of time producing a small mountain of plastic waste alongside your masterpiece.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of masterpiece

Browse Nearby Words

compositing
composition
compositions
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Cite this Entry

“Composition.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/composition. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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