Composure means staying calm and in control of yourself, especially when things get difficult or stressful. When you maintain your composure during a tough situation, you keep your emotions from taking over and continue thinking clearly.

Picture a basketball player at the free-throw line with two seconds left in a tied game. The gym is loud, everyone's watching, and her heart is probably pounding. If she keeps her composure, she takes a deep breath, focuses on the basket, and shoots just like she's practiced a thousand times. She doesn't let the pressure make her rush or panic.

Or imagine you're giving a presentation and suddenly forget what you planned to say next. Someone with composure pauses calmly, gathers their thoughts, and continues smoothly instead of getting flustered and running off the stage.

The word suggests a kind of inner steadiness. When people lose their composure, they might start crying, yelling, or acting without thinking. When they regain their composure, they've calmed themselves down and gotten back in control. A violin soloist who continues playing beautifully after her music falls to the floor, a surgeon who stays focused during an emergency, or a student who stays cool during a fire drill: they're all showing composure.