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Comprise

Comprise is a transitive verb in English that means to contain, consist of, or be made up of. In standard modern usage, the whole comprises its parts: for example, “The committee comprises ten members.” The focus is on the whole as the entity that includes the components. Inversion is possible but less common: “Ten members comprise the committee,” which can sound formal or archaic in everyday writing.

Usage notes and cautions

Many style guides advise against the passive construction is comprised of, arguing that comprise should be

Etymology

Comprise traces to Old French comprendre (to include) and ultimately to Latin comprehendere (to seize together,

Related terms

Common equivalents include consist of, be made up of, are composed of, and include. The choice among

See also

Constitute, compose, contain. The usage distinctions between these verbs are subtle and often guided by stylistic

used
directly
with
the
parts:
“The
committee
comprises
ten
members.”
When
describing
the
elements
themselves,
you
may
hear
“the
parts
comprise
the
whole,”
but
more
often
one
would
say
“the
committee
consists
of
ten
members”
or
“is
composed
of
ten
members.”
The
form
is
comprised
of
is
frequent
in
speech
and
in
some
varieties
of
writing,
but
it
is
still
contested
in
prescriptive
circles.
to
hold).
The
modern
sense
of
containing
or
consisting
of
emerged
in
Early
Modern
English
and
is
now
common
in
formal
and
academic
prose.
them
can
affect
emphasis:
comprise
highlights
the
whole
as
a
unit;
consist
of
or
be
made
up
of
emphasizes
the
components.
or
regional
preferences.