Compositional

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˌkɒm.pəˈzɪ.ʃən.əl/

Definitions

1. Relating to the arrangement or combination of parts to form a whole, especially in art, music, or linguistic structure
2. Pertaining to the way in which elements are organized or structured together to create a unified whole, particularly in artistic, musical, or linguistic contexts
3. Connected to the manner of assembling various components to form a cohesive entity, especially within the realms of art, music, and language

Etymology: "Compositional" is a plain formation: the noun "composition" with the adjective-forming suffix "-al" attached. The suffix has a long pedigree of its own. It began in Latin as "-alis", which turned an idea into a related quality, so that "ingenium" (talent) gave "ingenialis". Latin "-alis" passed into Old French as "-al" and then into Middle English as "-al", the form English kept. "Composition" itself came from the Latin "compositio", a noun built from "componere", meaning to put together or arrange. So the word's core sense is literally "relating to putting together", and its meaning sits close to that picture of parts being arranged into a whole.