composure.

Calm self-control that enables someone to think, speak, or behave steadily under pressure.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• maintain composure
• regain composure
• lose composure

On the page

She maintained her composure while the guard searched her bag.

He needed a minute to regain his composure after the near collision.

Her calm instructions showed composure, not an absence of fear.

Usage notes

Primary category: fear. Often emphasizes maintaining or regaining self-control and may be shown outwardly, but can describe mental calm as well. It overlaps with equanimity rather than being its purely external counterpart. Composure can coexist with inner fear and does not prove safety. Usually uncountable in this sense. Derived family (not additional inflections or records): composed.