compass

1 of 3

verb

com·​pass ˈkəm-pəs 

 also  ˈkäm-

compassed; compassing; compasses

transitive verb

1

: to devise or contrive often with craft or skill : plot

" … persons … who have compassed my destruction … "

—Charles Dickens

2

: encompass

a lake compassed by mountains

3

a

: bring about, achieve

… none can compass more than they intend …

—Alexander Pope

b

: to get into one's possession or power : obtain

He compassed a vast estate.

4

: comprehend

could not compass the seriousness of the problem

compassable

ˈkəm-pə-sə-bəl 

 also  ˈkäm-

adjective

compass

2 of 3

noun

1

a

: boundary, circumference

within the compass of the city walls

b

: a circumscribed space

crammed into a narrow compass

c

: range, scope

the compass of my voice

2

: a curved or roundabout course

… a compass of seven days' journey …

—2 Kings 3:9 (King James Version)

3

a

: a device for determining directions by means of a magnetic needle or group of needles turning freely on a pivot and pointing to the magnetic north

b

: any of various nonmagnetic devices that indicate direction

c

: an instrument for describing circles or transferring measurements that consists of two pointed branches joined at the top by a pivot

—usually used in plural

called also pair of compasses

4

: direction sense 6c

his moral compass

Illustration of compass

• compass 3a

compass

3 of 3

adjective

: forming a curve : curved

a compass timber

Synonyms

Verb

• accomplish
• fulfil
• fulfill
• execute
• achieve
• perform
• do
• make
• carry out
• implement
• carry off

Noun

• direction

Choose the Right Synonym for compass

range, gamut, compass, sweep, scope, orbit mean the extent that lies within the powers of something (as to cover or control).

range is a general term indicating the extent of one's perception or the extent of powers, capacities, or possibilities.

the entire range of human experience

gamut suggests a graduated series running from one possible extreme to another.

a performance that ran the gamut of emotions

compass implies a sometimes limited extent of perception, knowledge, or activity.

your concerns lie beyond the narrow compass of this study

sweep suggests extent, often circular or arc-shaped, of motion or activity.

the book covers the entire sweep of criminal activity

scope is applicable to an area of activity, predetermined and limited, but somewhat flexible.

as time went on, the scope of the investigation widened

orbit suggests an often circumscribed range of activity or influence within which forces work toward accommodation.

within that restricted orbit they tried to effect social change

Examples of compass in a Sentence

Verb

attempting more than his modest abilities could compass

the great age of exploration, when ships of sail compassed the earth

Noun

He always carries a compass when he walks in the woods.

His religion is the compass that guides him.

Interest rates serve as a compass for determining whether to buy or sell stocks.

The character in the movie had no moral compass to tell him that stealing was wrong.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Israelis and Palestinians are left without a script or compass other than relics of earlier days. —Hussein Agha, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2025

The wind sighs: Save me, Lord, for the waters have compassed my soul. —Tomas Tranströmer, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024

Noun

That is the compass that will align your entire organization around what truly matters. —Guy Peixoto, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025

Not as a wound, but as a compass. —Zach Sweet, Kansas City Star, 9 Sep. 2025

Adjective

Pack a map, compass and a GPS system. —Daniella Segura, Sacbee.com, 2 Sep. 2025

Just as a compass needle reveals Earth’s magnetic field, Punctum may be the first of many cosmic beacons pointing to new ways of mapping the invisible forces that shape galaxies. —New Atlas, 29 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French cumpasser to measure, from Vulgar Latin *compassare to pace off, from Latin com- + passus pace

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1523, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing compass

• all points/every point of the compass
• compass card
• compass plant
• compass rose
• magnetic compass
• mariner's compass
• moral compass
• radio compass

Rhymes for compass

• rumpus
• encompass

Kids Definition

compass

1 of 2 verb

com·​pass ˈkəm-pəs 

 also  ˈkäm-

1

: to travel entirely around

compass the earth

2

: accomplish, achieve

compass

2 of 2 noun

1

a

: boundary, circumference

b

: an enclosed space

c

: range entry 1 sense 6, scope

within the compass of my voice

2

a

: a device for determining directions by means of a magnetic needle pointing to the magnetic north

b

: any of various other devices that indicate direction

3

: an instrument for drawing circles or transferring measurements that consists of two pointed branches joined at the top

—usually used in plural