com·pound
ˈkäm-ˌpau̇nd 
1
: something formed by a union of elements or parts
especially
: a distinct substance formed by chemical union of two or more ingredients in definite proportion by weight
a new antibiotic compound
2
a
: a word consisting of components that are words (such as rowboat, high school, devil-may-care)
b
: a word (such as anthropology, kilocycle, builder) consisting of any of various combinations of words, combining forms, or affixes
com·pound
käm-ˈpau̇nd
kəm-ˈpau̇nd,
ˈkäm-ˌpau̇nd
compounded; compounding; compounds
1
a
: to pay (interest) on both the accrued interest and the principal
b
: to add to : augment
compound an error
… had several other medical complications that compounded his condition.—
Jeffrey S. Hollis
Jeffrey S. Hollis2
: to form by combining parts
compound a medicine
3
: to put together (parts) so as to form a whole : combine
compound ingredients
… a thick sauce compounded of chilies, garlic, and ginger.—Andy Birsh
Andy Birsh4
a
: to settle amicably : adjust by agreement
b
: to agree for a consideration not to prosecute (an offense)
compound a felony
1
: to become joined in a compound
2
: to come to terms of agreement
compounded with the enemy for peace
compounder
noun
com·pound
ˈkäm-ˌpau̇nd
käm-ˈpau̇nd
käm-ˈpau̇nd
kəm-ˈpau̇nd
1
: composed of or resulting from union of separate elements, ingredients, or parts: such as
a
: having the blade divided to the midrib and forming two or more leaflets on a common axis
a compound leaf
b
: composed of united similar elements especially of a kind usually independent
a compound plant ovary
2
: involving or used in a combination
3
a
of a word
: made by combining two or more words : constituting a compound (see compound entry 1 sense 2)
"Steamboat" is a compound noun.
b
of a sentence
: having two or more main clauses
com·pound
ˈkäm-ˌpau̇nd
: a fenced or walled-in area containing a group of buildings and especially residences
a prison compound
an embassy compound
Synonyms
Noun (1)
- admixture
- alloy
- amalgam
- amalgamation
- blend
- cocktail
- combination
- composite
- conflation
- emulsion
- fusion
- intermixture
- meld
- mix
- mixture
- synthesis
Verb
- accelerate
- add (to)
- aggrandize
- amplify
- augment
- boost
- build up
- enlarge
- escalate
- expand
- extend
- hype
- increase
- multiply
- pump up
- raise
- stoke
- supersize
- swell
- up
Adjective
Examples of compound in a Sentence
Verb
The interest is compounded at regular intervals.
we compounded our error by waiting too long to call for help
Adjective
“Steamboat” is a compound noun.
“I told him to leave and he left” is a compound sentence.
Recent Examples on the WebInkoo Kang, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024
Those groups would receive seven raises over five years, or a total increase in pay of 24%, once compounding is factored in.
—David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2024
The stress can be compounded for families in metro Atlanta, where many people rely on cars to get around.
—Sharon Johnson, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Apr. 2024
The sense of confusion was compounded by the amount of misinformation circulating on social media.
—Samantha Schmidt, Washington Post, 12 Apr. 2024
The risk of the EU losing new clean tech investment at a time when it’s most needed has been compounded by the US Inflation Reduction Act, which includes about $500 billion in new green spending and tax breaks over a decade.
—Ewa Krukowska, Fortune Europe, 5 Apr. 2024
This financial crisis was further compounded by the collapse of savings and loan institutions, a scandal that incurred approximately $132 billion in taxpayer costs and led to the downfall of some of Phoenix's largest entities, such as Western Savings.
—Arizona Republic, The Arizona Republic, 1 Apr. 2024
But Remarkable Healthcare’s staffing crisis is compounded by the company’s financial woes, which have gotten worse in recent months, according to current and former staff members and filings in bankruptcy court.
—Ciara McCarthy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Mar. 2024
Experts warn that the problem could be compounded by the ongoing immigration crisis, with migrants catching wind of the laws and taking advantage of them.
—Emma Colton, Fox News, 4 Apr. 2024
Oliver Wyman, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024
The government’s decision this month to roll back subsidies cut deep in a country where some 90 percent of people live in poverty, according to United Nations estimates, amid a compound confluence of crises: violence, hyperinflation, Western sanctions, weak institutions and rampant extortion.
—Sarah Dadouch, Washington Post, 25 Aug. 2023
By comparison, the compound annual growth rate of the S&P 500 stock index is 10.5% over the past three years.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 15 Feb. 2024
The firm’s growth projections indicate that total APAC video industry revenues will expand at a compound average growth rate of 2.6% between 2023-28 to reach $165 billion by 2028.
—Patrick Frater, Variety, 3 Jan. 2024
Additionally, China is the world's largest EV market with a compound annual growth rate of 5% over the last decade.
—Jacob Wolinsky, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023
Hydrogen occurs naturally in compound form with other elements in liquids, gases or solids.
—Kate Gibson, CBS News, 18 Oct. 2023
Coca-Cola has since appreciated by close to 600%, or a compound annual rate of return of some 25%, but Berkshire has taken not a penny in profits and has sold not a single share.
—Matt Schifrin, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023
This will have a compound annual growth rate of 73.3% over the 2023-2027 forecast period, according to IDC.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2023
Michelle Rostamian, Peoplemag, 5 Apr. 2024
Meanwhile, the chemical compound itself settles into the body’s fat, lingering for days.
—Julia Michie Bruckner, Discover Magazine, 5 Apr. 2024
Water samples collected hours after the collapse did not contain contaminants such as volatile organic compounds or lithium, Maryland Department of the Environment spokesperson Jay Apperson told USA TODAY Wednesday.
—Minnah Arshad, USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2024
But fortunately, on the other side of the country, a nine-acre compound in Naples, Fla., is available for $295 million.
—Chris Morris, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2024
The masterminds rely on human trafficking victims to help facilitate the scams at compounds in Southeast Asia, prosecutors say.
—Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 4 Apr. 2024
Critics say that noise could disrupt marine mammals such as whales and dolphins, while plumes of sediment, potentially containing toxic compounds, kicked up by equipment on the seabed may disperse, harming midwater ecosystems, according to recent research.
—Katie Hunt, CNN, 3 Apr. 2024
Israeli officials have disputed this account, however, saying in interviews that their intelligence suggests the compound was not in fact a civilian building but a Quds Force military headquarters in disguise.
—Alexander Smith, NBC News, 2 Apr. 2024
The 161-room Mitsui, opened in late 2020, sits across from Nijo Castle, an enormous 17th-century compound and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
—John Wogan, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2024
Verb
The sense of disorientation is compounded by the multitudinous performances of Robert Downey, Jr., who plays no fewer than four characters, differentiated from one another through wigs, contacts, and accents.
—Inkoo Kang, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024
Those groups would receive seven raises over five years, or a total increase in pay of 24%, once compounding is factored in.
—David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2024
The stress can be compounded for families in metro Atlanta, where many people rely on cars to get around.
—Sharon Johnson, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Apr. 2024
The sense of confusion was compounded by the amount of misinformation circulating on social media.
—Samantha Schmidt, Washington Post, 12 Apr. 2024
The risk of the EU losing new clean tech investment at a time when it’s most needed has been compounded by the US Inflation Reduction Act, which includes about $500 billion in new green spending and tax breaks over a decade.
—Ewa Krukowska, Fortune Europe, 5 Apr. 2024
This financial crisis was further compounded by the collapse of savings and loan institutions, a scandal that incurred approximately $132 billion in taxpayer costs and led to the downfall of some of Phoenix's largest entities, such as Western Savings.
—Arizona Republic, The Arizona Republic, 1 Apr. 2024
But Remarkable Healthcare’s staffing crisis is compounded by the company’s financial woes, which have gotten worse in recent months, according to current and former staff members and filings in bankruptcy court.
—Ciara McCarthy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Mar. 2024
Experts warn that the problem could be compounded by the ongoing immigration crisis, with migrants catching wind of the laws and taking advantage of them.
—Emma Colton, Fox News, 4 Apr. 2024
Adjective
Between 2024 and 2034, our latest Global Fleet and MRO Market Forecast expects the number of commercial aircraft worldwide to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.5%, reaching more than 36,400 aircraft by the start of 2034.
—Oliver Wyman, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024
The government’s decision this month to roll back subsidies cut deep in a country where some 90 percent of people live in poverty, according to United Nations estimates, amid a compound confluence of crises: violence, hyperinflation, Western sanctions, weak institutions and rampant extortion.
—Sarah Dadouch, Washington Post, 25 Aug. 2023
By comparison, the compound annual growth rate of the S&P 500 stock index is 10.5% over the past three years.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 15 Feb. 2024
The firm’s growth projections indicate that total APAC video industry revenues will expand at a compound average growth rate of 2.6% between 2023-28 to reach $165 billion by 2028.
—Patrick Frater, Variety, 3 Jan. 2024
Additionally, China is the world's largest EV market with a compound annual growth rate of 5% over the last decade.
—Jacob Wolinsky, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023
Hydrogen occurs naturally in compound form with other elements in liquids, gases or solids.
—Kate Gibson, CBS News, 18 Oct. 2023
Coca-Cola has since appreciated by close to 600%, or a compound annual rate of return of some 25%, but Berkshire has taken not a penny in profits and has sold not a single share.
—Matt Schifrin, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023
This will have a compound annual growth rate of 73.3% over the 2023-2027 forecast period, according to IDC.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2023
Noun
This ensures that the oil retains its beneficial compounds, ultimately creating a more potent, efficacious oil.
—Michelle Rostamian, Peoplemag, 5 Apr. 2024
Meanwhile, the chemical compound itself settles into the body’s fat, lingering for days.
—Julia Michie Bruckner, Discover Magazine, 5 Apr. 2024
Water samples collected hours after the collapse did not contain contaminants such as volatile organic compounds or lithium, Maryland Department of the Environment spokesperson Jay Apperson told USA TODAY Wednesday.
—Minnah Arshad, USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2024
But fortunately, on the other side of the country, a nine-acre compound in Naples, Fla., is available for $295 million.
—Chris Morris, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2024
The masterminds rely on human trafficking victims to help facilitate the scams at compounds in Southeast Asia, prosecutors say.
—Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 4 Apr. 2024
Critics say that noise could disrupt marine mammals such as whales and dolphins, while plumes of sediment, potentially containing toxic compounds, kicked up by equipment on the seabed may disperse, harming midwater ecosystems, according to recent research.
—Katie Hunt, CNN, 3 Apr. 2024
Israeli officials have disputed this account, however, saying in interviews that their intelligence suggests the compound was not in fact a civilian building but a Quds Force military headquarters in disguise.
—Alexander Smith, NBC News, 2 Apr. 2024
The 161-room Mitsui, opened in late 2020, sits across from Nijo Castle, an enormous 17th-century compound and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
—John Wogan, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'compound.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near compound
Cite this Entry
“Compound.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/compound. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
compound
1 of 4 verb
com·pound
käm-ˈpau̇nd
kəm-;
ˈkäm-ˌpau̇nd
1
: to put together or be joined to form a whole : combine
2
: to form by combining parts
compound a medicine
3
: to settle or adjust by agreement
compound a debt
4
a
: to pay in the form of compound interest
interest compounded quarterly
b
: to add to
compounded our errors
compounder
noun
compound
2 of 4 adjective
com·pound
ˈkäm-ˌpau̇nd
käm-ˈpau̇nd,
kəm-
1
: made of or by the union of separate elements or parts
a compound substance
2
: made up of two or more parts that are alike and form a common whole
a raspberry is a compound fruit
3
a
: being a word that is a compound
the compound noun "steamboat"
b
: consisting of two or more main clauses
"I told him to leave and he left" is a compound sentence
compound
3 of 4 noun
com·pound
ˈkäm-ˌpau̇nd
1
: a word consisting of parts that are words
"rowboat," "high school," and "light-year" are compounds
2
: something formed by a union of elements or parts
especially
: a distinct substance formed by the union of two or more chemical elements in definite proportion by weight
compound
4 of 4 noun
com·pound
ˈkäm-ˌpau̇nd
: an enclosed area containing a group of buildings
Etymology
Verb
Middle English compounen "combine, compound," from early French compondre (same meaning), from Latin componere "compound, combine," from com- "with, together" and ponere "to place, put" — related to position
Noun
from a word in Malay, the language of the people of the Malay Peninsula, kampung "enclosure around a building"; both spelling and pronunciation influenced by the more familiar English word compound
Medical Definition
compound
1 of 3 transitive verb
com·pound
käm-ˈpau̇nd, kəm-ˈ, ˈkäm-ˌ
: to form by combining parts
compound a medicine
compound
2 of 3 adjective
com·pound
ˈkäm-ˌpau̇nd, käm-ˈ, kəm-ˈ
: composed of or resulting from union of separate elements, ingredients, or parts
a compound substance
compound glands
compound
3 of 3 noun
com·pound
ˈkäm-ˌpau̇nd
: something formed by a union of elements or parts
specifically
: a distinct substance formed by chemical union of two or more ingredients in definite proportion by weight
Legal Definition
compound
transitive verb
com·pound
kəm-ˈpau̇nd
1
: to agree for a consideration not to prosecute (an offense)
Note: Compounding a felony is a common-law crime.
2
: to pay (interest) on both the accrued interest and the principal
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