Composure

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /kəmˈpoʊʒɚ/

Definitions

1. Calmness and self-control, especially in a difficult or stressful situation
2. The state of maintaining mental calmness and self-possession during challenging circumstances or emotional upheavals
3. The ability to remain undisturbed and collected in the face of anxiety or turmoil, reflecting inner tranquility

Etymology: The surprising thing about "composure" is that it began as a plain verb-to-noun formation with no special sense of calm at all. It is built from "compose," which came into English from Old French "composer," and the ending "-ure," which English took from Old French "-ure" and which in turn descends from Latin "-ātūra," a suffix used to form nouns of action or result. A composure, in its earliest sense, was simply the act or state of putting things together into a settled arrangement. The move from arrangement to self-command happened through the sense of a person's bearing being put in order. Once a face, posture or manner was described as composed, the noun came to name that outward settledness, and then the inner steadiness that produces it. That is why the modern meaning sits so comfortably with words like "poise," which likewise began as a physical balance before it described a person's control over themselves.

Synonyms: calmness, serenity, tranquility, self-control, equanimity

Antonyms: agitation, anxiety, nervousness, disturbance, chaos