Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense comprises, present participle comprising, past tense, past participle comprised
1. verb
If you say that something comprises or is comprised of a number of things or people, you mean it has them as its parts or members.
[formal]
MCC's main committee comprises 18 members. [VERB noun]
The exhibition comprises 50 oils and watercolours. [VERB noun]
The task force is comprised of congressional leaders and cabinet heads. [beVERB-ed + of]
A crowd comprised of the wives and children of scientists staged a demonstration. [VERB-ed]
Synonyms: be composed of, include, contain, consist of More Synonyms of comprise
2. verb
The things or people that comprise something are the parts or members that form it.
[formal]
The proposals exclude three of the four nations comprising the UK.. [VERB noun]
Women comprise 44% of hospital medical staff. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: make up, form, constitute, compose More Synonyms of comprise
comprise in British English
(kəmˈpraɪz)
verb(transitive)
1.
to include; contain
2.
to constitute the whole of; consist of
her singing comprised the entertainment
▶ USAGE The use of of after comprise should be avoided: the library comprises (not comprises of) 500 000 books and manuscripts
Derived forms
comprisable (comˈprisable)
adjective
comprisal (comˈprisal)
noun
Word origin
C15: from French compris included, understood, from comprendre to comprehend
comprise in American English
(kəmˈpraɪz)
verb transitiveWord forms: comˈprised or comˈprising
1.
to include; contain
2.
to consist of; be composed of
a nation comprising thirteen states
3.
to make up; form; constitute
in this sense still regarded by a few as a loose usage
a nation comprised of thirteen states
SIMILAR WORDS: inˈclude
Derived forms
comprisable (comˈprisable)
adjective
comprisal (comˈprisal)
noun
Word origin
ME comprisen < OFr compris, pp. of comprendre < L comprehendere, comprehend
Examples of 'comprise' in a sentence
comprise
And the passive construction comprised of is well established too.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Most appointment committees comprise the chairman and chief executive.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
They now comprised not only agriculture but also grassroots industrial units.
Grenville, J. A. S. The Collins History of the World in the 20th Century (1994)
That whole period comprised the discharging operations.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
This army clearly comprises many diverse peoples held together for a common end.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Its overseas businesses now comprise two thirds of its shopfloor space.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
It is enough to say that the whole comprises its parts.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Lay people comprise a competent team of premarital counselors.
Christianity Today (2000)
It also requires knowledge about who comprise the potential buyers and sellers and at what prices they are interested in doing business.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
With their extended families, these elites comprised about one to two percent of the population.
Marcus J. Borg READING THE BIBLE AGAIN FOR THE FIRST TIME: Taking the Bible Seriously but Not Literally. (2001)
Each season comprises about 20 recipes and is full of useful tips.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Women now comprise a third of his Cabinet.
The Sun (2015)
This now comprises about half of the Lotus business.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The governing council will comprise about 12 people including a chairman or chairwoman.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The format now comprises only 0.7 per cent of all online advertising expenditure.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Usually both tasks are accomplished by a committee comprised of employees who are familiar with company jobs, with guidance from an outside consultant.
A Conceptual View of Human Resource Management: Strategic Objectives, Environments,Functions
Britain is highly industrialized, with over 80% of exports comprising manufactured goods.
Jilbert, John Geography Basic Facts (1983)
Yes, the whole comprises the parts, but the parts can also comprise the whole.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
They comprised about a sixth of the old city and almost the entire Armenian Quarter.
Charles Glass The Tribes Triumphant (2006)
The heads of each of the football organisations eight countries would together comprise the organising committee, of Fifa.
The Sun (2015)
A simple apology on behalf of the competing factions that comprise me is about the best I can manage.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
In other languages
comprise
British English: comprise VERB
If you say that something comprises or is comprised of a number of things or people, you mean it has them as its parts or members.
The lower level comprises three double-size bedrooms, a bathroom, and laundry.
American English: comprise
Brazilian Portuguese: compreender
Chinese: 由…组成
European Spanish: constar de
French: comporter
German: bestehen aus
Italian: comprendere
Japanese: ～から成る
Korean: 구성되다
European Portuguese: compreender
Latin American Spanish: constar de
Chinese translation of 'comprise'
comprise
(kəmˈpraɪz) (frm)
vt
(= consist of) (also be comprised of) 包括 (bāokuò)
(= constitute) 构(構)成 (gòuchéng)
1 (verb)
Definition
to be made up of
The exhibition comprises 50 oils and watercolours.
Synonyms
be composed of
include
The trip was extended to include a few other events.
contain
The committee contains 11 Democrats and nine Republicans.
consist of
take in
embrace
a theory that would embrace the whole field of human endeavour
encompass
His repertoire encompassed everything from Bach to Scott Joplin.
comprehend
2 (verb)
Definition
to form or make up
Women comprise the majority of this hospital's medical staff.
Synonyms
make up
form
Women formed the majority of the group's membership.
constitute
The country's ethnic minorities constitute 7 per cent of its total population.
compose
They agreed to form a council composed of leaders of the rival factions.
Usage note
The use of of after comprise should be avoided: the library comprises (not comprises of) 6,500,000 books and manuscripts. Consist, however, should be followed by of when used in this way: Her crew consisted of children from Devon and Cornwall.
Additional synonyms
in the sense of compose
Definition
to be the component elements of
They agreed to form a council composed of leaders of the rival factions.
Synonyms
put together,
make up,
constitute,
comprise,
make,
build,
form,
fashion,
construct,
compound
in the sense of comprehend
Definition
to include
Synonyms
include,
involve,
contain,
take in,
embrace,
comprise,
enclose,
embody,
encompass
in the sense of constitute
Definition
to form or make up
The country's ethnic minorities constitute 7 per cent of its total population.