English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

compilation

noun

A collection of things gathered together from different sources into one place.

compile

verb

To gather information or material from various sources and put it together.

compiler

noun

A program that takes source code written by a person and turns it into a form a computer can run directly, checking as it goes that the code makes sense according to the rules of the language.

compiling

noun

The act or process of gathering material together, or of converting code into an executable program.

complacence

noun

A feeling of quiet contentment or self-satisfaction.

complacency

noun

A feeling of comfortable self-satisfaction that makes someone unaware of a coming problem.

complacent

adj

Too pleased with oneself or one's situation, especially in a way that ignores real risks.

complain

verb

To express dissatisfaction, annoyance, or pain about something.

complainant

noun

A person who makes a formal complaint, especially in a legal or official setting.

complainer

noun

A person who often grumbles or finds fault with things.

complaining

adj

Frequently expressing dissatisfaction or annoyance.

complaint

noun

A statement expressing dissatisfaction or a problem.

complaisance

noun

A friendly readiness to please or agree with other people.

complaisant

adj

Eager to please other people and go along with what they want.

complement

noun

Something that completes or goes well with something else.

complementary

adj

Combining well with something else so that together they form a complete or improved whole.

complete

verb

To finish something so that nothing more remains to be done.

completed

adj

Finished; brought to an end.

completely

adv

Totally or fully, with nothing left out.

completeness

noun

The quality of having everything present, with nothing missing.

completion

noun

The state of being finished, or the act of finishing something.

completive

noun

(grammar) A word form or phrase that shows an action has finished.

complex

adj

Made up of many interconnected parts; not simple.

complexed

adj

Joined together to form a single complex unit.

complexify

verb

To make something more complicated than it was.

complexion

noun

The natural color and texture of a person's facial skin.

complexional

adj

Relating to a person's basic physical make-up.

complexity

noun

The state of having many interconnected parts, making something hard to understand or manage.

complexness

noun

The quality of having many connected parts that make something hard to follow.

compliance

noun

The act of following rules, laws, or requests set by others.

compliancy

noun

The state of readily agreeing to rules or requests.

compliant

adj

Willing to go along with rules or another person's wishes.

complicacy

noun

The condition of being tangled or made up of many connected parts.

complicate

verb

To make something more difficult or intricate than it needs to be.

complicated

adjective

Made up of many interconnected parts, making it hard to understand or deal with.

complicatedness

noun

The quality of having many parts that make something hard to understand.

complication

noun

A problem or difficulty that makes a situation harder to deal with.

complicit

adjective

Involved in a wrongful act along with others, even if only by staying silent or looking the other way.

complicity

noun

Involvement in wrongdoing alongside someone else, as a partner or accomplice.

complify

verb

(informal) To make language needlessly complicated, to the point where it defeats its own purpose.

compliment

noun

A remark expressing praise, admiration or approval of someone or something.

complimentary

adjective

Expressing praise or admiration.

complimenting

verb

Praising someone or saying something nice about them (the -ing form of "compliment").

complot

noun

A secret plan made by two or more people together.

comply

verb

To act in accordance with a rule, request, or law.

complying

verb

Acting in accordance with a rule or request (the -ing form of "comply").

component

noun

One of the individual parts that make up a larger whole.

comport

verb

(formal) To put up with something; to bear it.

comportment

noun

The way a person behaves or carries themselves.

compose

verb

To make up or form the parts of something.

composed

adjective

Calm and in control of one's emotions.

composer

noun

A person who writes music.

composing

adjective

Having a calming or soothing effect.

composite

adjective

Made up of several distinct parts combined together.

composition

noun

The way in which the different parts of something are arranged or combined.

compositor

noun

A person whose job is to arrange text ready for printing.

compost

noun

Decayed organic matter, such as food scraps and garden waste, used to enrich soil.

composure

noun

A calm and controlled state of mind, especially under pressure.

compote

noun

A dessert of fruit cooked slowly in a sugary syrup.

compound

noun

A fenced or walled area containing a group of buildings, often used for security or living quarters.

compound interest

noun

Interest worked out not only on the original sum of money but also on the interest already added to it, so that the amount grows by a larger cash figure in each successive period.

compounded

adjective

Made up of combined parts, or increased through repeated combination.

compounding

noun

The build-up of interest calculated on both the original amount and the interest already earned.

comprehend

verb

To understand something fully.

comprehensible

adjective

Able to be understood.

comprehension

noun

The ability to understand something, or the act of understanding it.

comprehensive

adjective

Covering something completely or including nearly all relevant parts.

comprehensively

adv

In a way that covers everything, leaving nothing out.

compress

verb

To squeeze or press something into a smaller space.

compressed

adjective

Pressed or squeezed tightly into a smaller space.

compression

noun

The act of pressing something together, or the state of being pressed together.

compressor

noun

A machine that increases the pressure of a gas, such as air, by reducing its volume.

comprise

verb

To consist of or be made up of particular parts.

compromise

noun

An agreement reached when each side gives up part of what it wants.

compromised

adjective

Weakened, damaged, or exposed to risk.

compromising

adjective

Damaging to one's reputation, or revealing something embarrassing or incriminating.

Compton

name

An English surname and place name, also a city in California, originally meaning "valley settlement."

comptroller

noun

A senior official responsible for overseeing an organization's financial accounts, especially in government.

compulsatory

adj

Forced on someone; required rather than chosen.

compulsion

noun

A strong, often irrational urge to do something, even against one's better judgment.

compulsive

adjective

Resulting from an urge that is difficult or impossible to resist.

compulsively

adv

In a way that a person cannot stop doing, driven by a strong inner urge.

compulsory

adjective

Required by a rule, law, or authority; mandatory.

compunction

noun

A brief pang of guilt or mild regret about something you have done.

compurgation

noun

(law) Clearing someone of a charge because a number of other people swore on oath that they believed them.

computation

noun

The act of calculating something, or the result of that calculation.

computational

adj

Connected with computation or calculation.

compute

verb

To calculate a numerical value or result.

computed

adjective

Worked out by calculation rather than measured directly.

computer

noun

An electronic device that processes data, runs programs, and carries out calculations — from a desktop or laptop to the machine running behind a phone app.

computerization

noun

The process of making something work by computer, or a thing that has been changed this way.

computerized

adj

Run by, converted to, or managed using computers, rather than done manually.

computing

noun

The field or activity of using computers — programming, processing data, and building software and systems.

comrade

noun

A close companion or fellow member of a group, especially one who shares the same struggle or cause.

comradeliness

noun

The quality of being warm and friendly towards a companion.

comradery

noun

A friendly, loyal spirit shared by people who spend time together or work towards the same goal. A variant spelling of camaraderie.

comradeship

noun

A friendly bond between people who spend time together or work towards the same aim.

Comstock

noun

A censor, or someone who campaigns to suppress material they consider obscene or morally objectionable.

comte

noun

The French title equivalent to "count" — a hereditary noble rank.

comtesse

noun

The French title equivalent to "countess" — the wife or holder of the rank of comte.

con

noun

A dishonest scheme designed to trick someone, usually to take their money.

Conan

name

A masculine given name of Celtic origin, meaning "little wolf" or "hound."

concatenation

noun

A number of things joined together one after another, like links in a chain.

concave

adj

Curving inwards, like the inside of a bowl.

conceal

verb

To hide something from sight or keep it secret from others.

concealed

adj

Hidden from view or kept secret.

concealing

noun

Something, such as material, used to hide or cover something else.

concealment

noun

The act of hiding something, or the state of being hidden.

concede

verb

To admit, often reluctantly, that something is true.

conceit

noun

An excessively high opinion of oneself; vanity.

conceited

adj

Having an excessively high opinion of oneself; vain and self-important.

conceitedness

noun

The quality of thinking far too highly of yourself.

conceivable

adj

Capable of being imagined, believed, or understood as possible.

conceivably

adv

In a way that is possible to imagine or believe; possibly.

conceive

verb

To become pregnant.

conceiver

noun

A person or thing that conceives something.

conceiving

noun

The act of becoming pregnant, or of forming an idea or plan.

concentrate

verb

To focus one's full attention on something.

concentrated

adj

Made stronger by having water or bulk removed; not diluted.

concentration

noun

The ability to focus one's attention on a single task.

concentric

adjective

Sharing the same centre point, as circles or rings of different sizes placed one inside another.

concept

noun

A general idea or notion formed in the mind, especially an abstract one.

conception

noun

The moment an egg is fertilized, marking the start of a pregnancy.

conceptual

adj

Relating to ideas, concepts, or abstract thinking rather than concrete details.

conceptualise

verb

A non-Oxford British English standard spelling of conceptualize.

conceptualistic

adj

Connected with conceptualism.

conceptualize

verb

To understand something by turning it into a general idea in your mind.

conceptus

noun

(biology) The developing baby in the womb, together with the tissue around it that protects and feeds it.

concern

noun

A feeling of worry about something.

concerned

adj

Worried or troubled about something.

concerning

prep

About; regarding; on the subject of.

concert

noun

A live musical performance, usually in front of an audience.

concerted

adj

Carried out through combined, deliberate effort; jointly planned.

concertina

noun

A small musical instrument like an accordion, played by pressing buttons while squeezing the bellows in and out.

concerto

noun

A piece of orchestral music that features one or more solo instruments.

concession

noun

Something given up or granted, especially as a compromise.

conch

noun

A large sea snail with a spiral shell, or the shell itself.

concierge

noun

A hotel employee who helps guests with reservations, directions, and other requests.

conciliate

verb

To get or obtain something.

conciliation

noun

The process of ending a conflict and bringing back peace between people.

conciliator

noun

Someone who helps settle a disagreement between others.

conciliatory

adj

Ready to make peace or give ground in order to end a disagreement.

concise

adj

Giving all the necessary information in few words; brief and to the point.

concisely

adv

Briefly, without using more words than needed.

conciseness

noun

The quality of saying something briefly, without unnecessary words.

concision

noun

The quality of expressing something in few words; brevity.

conclave

noun

A private, closed meeting, especially the assembly of cardinals that elects a new pope.

conclavist

noun

A cardinal's personal assistant during a papal conclave.

conclude

verb

To bring something to an end; to finish.

concluded

verb

Past tense and past participle of conclude: decided or judged something after considering the evidence.