in a general sense, the uniting or putting together several things, so as to form a whole or compound.

COMPOSITION of Ideas, the act of uniting simple ideas in a complex idea or conception. It is opposed to analysis.

in Grammar, the joining of two words together; or prefixing a particle to another word, to augment, diminish, or change its signification.

in Law. See Bankruptcy, vol. ii., p. 416.

in Literature, the act of forming and arranging sentiments, and clothing them with language suitable to the nature of the subject.

in Logic, a method of reasoning by which we proceed from some general self-evident truth to other particular and singular ones.

In disposing and putting together our thoughts, there are two modes of proceeding equally within our choice; for we may arrange the truths relating to any part of knowledge as they presented themselves to the mind in the course of investigation, carrying on the series of proofs in a reverse order, till at last they terminate in first principles; or, beginning with these principles, we may take the contrary mode, and from them deduce, by a direct train of reasoning, the several propositions we want to establish.

This diversity in the manner of arranging our thoughts gives rise to the twofold division of method established among logicians. The first is the analytic method, or the method of resolution, insomuch as it traces things back to their source, and resolves knowledge into its first and original principles. And this stands in contradistinction to the method of composition, or, as it is otherwise called, the synthetic method; for here we proceed by gathering together the several scattered parts of knowledge, and combining them into one system, in such a manner as that the understanding is enabled distinctly to follow truth through all the different stages of gradation.

Music. See Music.

Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture, the disposition of several component parts in such a manner as to produce unity of effect, and set off the whole to advantage.

Printing, commonly termed composing, the arranging of the types in the composing stick, to form a line; and of several lines placed in order in the galley, to make a page; and of several pages to make a form. See Printing.