Meaning & use

compile

verb·Academic

To collect and assemble information, documents, or data from various sources into a single form.

See it in a sentence

She compiled the survey results into a detailed report for the board.

The programmer needs to compile the code before the software will run.

A note on using this word

In computing, 'compile' has a specific technical sense: translating source code into a form a computer can execute.

Words with a similar meaning

assemblegather

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Another way to use it

2. verb

In computing, to translate source code written by a programmer into an executable program.

The build script automatically compiles the source files every time changes are saved.

Make it your own

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