comprise

verb

com·​prise kəm-ˈprīz 

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)

Comprise vs. Compose: Usage Guide

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.

Did you know?

The earliest meaning of comprise, "to be made up of" (as in "a team comprising nine players"), is sometimes regarded as the word's only correct use. However, this grammatical prescription denies a well-established sense of the word: "to compose or constitute" (as in "the nine players who comprise the team"). Until relatively recently, this 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. You might be most familiar with this disputed use in the passive construction, "to be comprised of" (as in "a team comprised of nine players"). Apologies to the haters: a single sense simply can’t comprise comprise.

Synonyms

• contain
• include

Examples of comprise in a Sentence

Each army division comprised 4,500 troops.

The play comprises three acts.

Recent Examples on the Web

Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). —Keith Caulfield, Billboard, 15 July 2025

What To Know According to photos shared by a Japanese aircraft spotter on X (formerly Twitter) and a report by Japanese media, a group of four U.S. Air Force fighter jets comprising a pair of F-15EX jets, an F-15E jet and an F-16C jet—arrived at Kadena Air Base on Saturday. —Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 July 2025

Newsom also announced a new Business and Consumer Services Agency, which will comprise eight departments that oversee alcohol, cannabis and consumer protection, among other responsibilities. —Ethan Varian, Mercury News, 11 July 2025

Fourteen contestants made the cut, comprising the top four male and top four female candidates from the public vote and another six chosen by the producers. —Adam England, People.com, 10 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French compris, past participle of comprendre, from Latin comprehendere — see comprehend

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Rhymes for comprise

• advise
• applies
• apprise
• arise
• assize
• baptize
• belies
• bitwise
• capsize
• chastise
• chordwise
• clockwise

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

Kids Definition

comprise

verb

com·​prise kəm-ˈprīz 

comprised; comprising

1

: include, contain

the test comprised two essay questions

2

: to be made up of

the play comprises three acts

3

: compose sense 1b, constitute

nine players comprise a baseball team