What does "composer" mean?

1. (music writer) a person who writes music, especially as a professional job. 2. (author or creator) someone who creates or puts together a piece of writing or art.

How do you use "composer"?

Often used with 'classical', 'film', or 'contemporary' to specify the genre of music written.

composer

US //kəmˈpoʊzɝ// UK //kəmpˈəʊzɐ// com·pos·er

1 music writer (n.)
B1 Intermediate Music

a person who writes music, especially as a professional job.

a person who creates musical compositions, often involving the arrangement of melodies and harmonies for instruments or voices.

Example

The film composer spent months writing the perfect theme for the main character.

Example

While many contemporary composers experiment with electronic sounds, others remain dedicated to the traditional orchestral forms of the nineteenth century.

Usage

Often used with 'classical', 'film', or 'contemporary' to specify the genre of music written.
- songwriter
- musician
- arranger
- performer
- listener
2 author or creator (n.)
C2 Proficiency Formal Archaic

someone who creates or puts together a piece of writing or art.

a person who assembles or constructs a literary or artistic work; an author.

Example

The composer of this long poem lived hundreds of years ago.

Example

In the formal preface, the composer of the text acknowledges the various sources that informed his historical analysis.

Teacher's tip

In modern English, this word almost exclusively refers to music. Using it for a writer of books or poems is very rare and sounds old-fashioned.

Origin

From compose + -er.