comprise
Americanverb (used with object)
-
comprises,
present (3rd person singular)
-
comprised,
past participle, past
-
comprising
present participle
-
to include or contain.
The Soviet Union comprised several socialist republics.
-
to consist of; be composed of.
The advisory board comprises six members.
-
to form or constitute.
Seminars and lectures comprised the day's activities.
idioms
verb
-
to include; contain
-
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
Synonym Usage
See include.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
comprisesimple
-
comprisessimple
-
have comprisedperfect
-
has comprisedperfect
-
am comprisingprogressive
-
are comprisingprogressive
-
is comprisingprogressive
-
have been comprisingperfect progressive
-
has been comprisingperfect progressive
Past
-
comprisedsimple
-
had comprisedperfect
-
was comprisingprogressive
-
were comprisingprogressive
-
had been comprisingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of comprise
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English comprisen, from Middle French compris (past participle of comprendre ), from Latin comprehēnsus; see comprehension
Explanation
When something comprises other things, it is made up of them or formed from them. The periodic table comprises 118 elements, because the whole comprises the parts. In its traditional use, the word comprise is the opposite of compose: if A comprises X, Y, and Z, then X, Y, and Z compose A. But because compose and comprise sound so much alike, people have long confused the two. So now you often hear things like "The band is comprised of a guitarist, a bassist, and a hairy drummer," whereas sticklers would prefer "is composed of" in that sentence. The word is undergoing a usage shift, making it just as hairy as that drummer!
Vocabulary lists containing comprise
List 1
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Hatchet
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Commonly Confused Words, List 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“There are many fine law firms that comprise many fine professionals, who are trying to serve clients in what can appear to be very similar ways,” said Heather McDevitt, chair of White & Case.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
The 100 million barrels will comprise a mix of diesel and crude oil.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026
These folks comprise the wealthiest generation in history: According to the Federal Reserve, baby boomers control $90 trillion in assets.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 5, 2026
These comprise tenors of 1-3 years, 5-10 years and over 25 years.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
The Q-R-S-T-U galleries comprise the “front side,” or river side, of B-block; V-W-X-Y-Z, the back.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
Lion Green Road comprises 157 homes across five distinctive 13-sided blocks.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
Revenue from the division rose about 15% in the second quarter and comprises about 16% of the company’s total.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
As Herzog moves the sisters between reality and film’s dreamy latter half, he plunges into the fizzy static that comprises their cosmic connection, examining their solitude as only he can.
From Salon ● Sep. 28, 2026
In true Tove Lo fashion, the surrounding serene village made her turn to the familiar sounds of heavy club electronica, further building on the contradictory ethos that comprises “Estrus.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026
For example, the Indo-European language family, which includes English as well as French, Russian, Greek, and Hindi, comprises about 144 languages.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
The university's Faculty Senate, a governing body comprised of professors and other academic staff, will vote on a resolution of no confidence next week, according to reports.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
Lorena Gonzalez, president of California Labor Federation, said Regan’s union is overwhelmingly comprised of women and women of color, who just reelected him to a position he’s held for 16 years.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
The Independent Grocers Alliance, comprised of 7,500 supermarkets, says fuel is 15% to 30% of the total cost of food.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 9, 2026
The transaction comprised $1.25 billion of five-year sukuk maturing in 2031 and $2 billion of 10-year notes due in 2036.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
The other is comprised of the exterior walls and roof, a brick-and-concrete shell that fits over the cells like a dish over a stick of butter.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
Utilities in Southern states asked for $2.2 billion in rate hikes during the third quarter, according to PowerLines, comprising the steepest requests in the country.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 10, 2026
The Palestinians call for the territory to be part of their hoped-for independent state comprising the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
The Election Commission, a three-member body comprising the chief election commissioner and two election commissioners, defended its decision-making process, saying differing views were part of institutional functioning and that decisions had ultimately been taken unanimously.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
The vast Theban necropolis, comprising an area of around 10km², was Egypt’s main royal and elite cemetery for half a millennium, from ca.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 10, 2026
In the spring of 1993, on the fortieth anniversary of the first ascent, a record fifteen expeditions, comprising 294 climbers, attempted to scale the peak from the Nepalese side.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
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