A compilation is a collection of things gathered together from different sources and combined into one place. When a musician releases a greatest hits compilation, they're collecting their most popular songs from various albums onto a single album. When you create a compilation of your favorite comic strips, you're gathering panels from different newspapers or books into one folder or scrapbook.

The word comes from the act of compiling: carefully selecting and organizing materials that were originally separate. A teacher might create a compilation of the best student essays from the year. A video game company might sell a compilation disc that includes five classic games that were once sold separately.

Compilations are useful because they bring together the best or most important pieces of something, saving you from having to search through everything yourself. A compilation of funny movie moments lets you enjoy the highlights without watching ten full-length films. Libraries often have compilations of short stories by different authors, letting you discover many writers in one book.

The word can also describe the process itself: when you're compiling research for a report, you're gathering facts and quotes from multiple sources and putting them together in an organized way.