comprise

verb com·prise \ kəm-ˈprīz \

Updated on: 17 Apr 2018

Definition of comprise

comprised; comprising

transitive verb

1 : to be made up of

The factory was to be a vast installation, comprising fifty buildings.
—Jane Jacobs

The play comprises three acts.

2 : compose, constitute

… a misconception as to what comprises a literary generation.
—William Styron

… about 8 percent of our military forces are comprised of women.
—Jimmy Carter

3 : to include especially within a particular scope

… civilization as Lenin used the term would then certainly have comprised the changes that are now associated in our minds with "developed" rather than "developing" states.
—The Times Literary Supplement (London)

See comprise defined for English-language learners

See comprise defined for kids

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comprise vs. compose

Although it has been in use since the late 18th century, sense 2 is still attacked as wrong. Why it has been singled out is not clear, but until comparatively recent times it was found chiefly in scientific or technical writing rather than belles lettres. Our current evidence shows a slight shift in usage: sense 2 is somewhat more frequent in recent literary use than the earlier senses. You should be aware, however, that if you use sense 2 you may be subject to criticism for doing so, and you may want to choose a safer synonym such as compose or make up.

Examples of comprise in a Sentence

Each army division comprised 4,500 troops.
The play comprises three acts.

Recent Examples of comprise from the Web

Top students: Ten students from Cuyahoga Community College, including four from the west side, were named to the All-Ohio Community College Academic Team, which comprises top students at the state's two-year schools.

— carol kovach, cleveland.com, "Area women make a mark in Navy intelligence: A Place in the Sun," 10 Apr. 2018
Hayes, who oversees security for the sheriff’s department in 28 unincorporated schools, said the only schools with armed deputies are the three Lincoln-Way High Schools, which comprise the county’s largest school district.

— susan demar lafferty, Daily Southtown, "Will County officials talk metal detectors and mental health, want to partner with schools on security," 7 Apr. 2018
The new law prohibits the sale and use of balloons throughout the town, which comprises the area of Block Island off Rhode Island's coast.

— mercedes leguizamon and aj willingham, CNN, "Why one town in Rhode Island is banning balloons," 6 Apr. 2018
According to Brysch, some German politicians are reluctant to alienate voters enamored of alternative treatments — not to mention the influential homeopathic lobby, which comprises practitioners as well as suppliers of natural compounds.

— lindsay gellman, Longreads, "The Last Resort," 22 Mar. 2018
The committee continues to dominate the fundraising pace among the party committees and major congressional super PACs, consistently attracting contributions of $200 or less, which comprised 56 percent of its fundraising haul in February.

— michelle ye hee lee, Washington Post, "Republican National Committee spent big at Trump properties in February, filings show," 20 Mar. 2018
Varadkar who is the taoiseach of Ireland — a role which comprises the titles of prime minister, chief executive and head of government — also is the first Irish government minister of Indian descent.

— dwight adams, Indianapolis Star, "Mike Pence chided for closed event with gay Irish prime minister," 15 Mar. 2018
At Holland & Knight: ▪ Kelly-Ann Cartwright, based in Miami, has been elected chair of the firm’s directors committee, which comprises 27 partners and is the policy-making body of the firm.

— miamiherald, "Senior-level hires and promotions for the week of Feb. 26, 2018 | Miami Herald," 26 Feb. 2018
By contrast, the bankruptcy courts in Austin and San Antonio, which comprise the Western District of Texas, plummeted to near record lows.

— mark curriden of the texas lawbook, Houston Chronicle, "Texas business bankruptcies skyrocketed in 2017," 26 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'comprise.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

Comprise has undergone a substantial shift in usage since first appearing in English in the 15th century. For many years usage commentators insisted that the usage of comprise meaning "to be made up of" (as shown in our first example) was correct and comprise meaning "to make up," as in our second example and in phrases like "the players who comprise the team," was not. (This disputed use is often used in passive constructions such as, "The album is comprised of ten classic songs.") Until relatively recently, this less-favored sense appeared mostly in scientific writing, but current evidence shows that it is now somewhat more common in general use than the word's other meanings.