Element, component, constituent, ingredient mean one of the parts of a compound or complex whole. A component of a vector is one of the things that the vector represents, such as force or speed. See examples of component used in a sentence.
The component parts of something are the parts that make it up. First we have to break the system down into its component parts. They manufacture component parts for engines.
Technically speaking, a component is an element of a system or a part of a machine. But a component can also be a factor or ingredient, such as the components of a decision or the components of a. Definition of component noun in oxford advanced learner's dictionary.
Jan 14, 2026noun component (plural components) a smaller, self-contained part of a larger entity. A cpu is a component of a. A component is a part, element, or ingredient used to form a whole system, object, or process.