comprise
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to include or contain.
The Soviet Union comprised several socialist republics.
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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
Related Words
See include.
Other Word Forms
- comprisable adjective
- comprisal noun
Etymology
Origin of comprise
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English comprisen, from Middle French compris (past participle of comprendre ), from Latin comprehēnsus; comprehension
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.
The trade balance, also known as the current account, comprises only a part of this ledger.
Student fees and university funds subsidize intercollegiate sports; those two sources comprised 87% of Sacramento State’s 2024 athletic budget, according to Knight Center data.
From Los Angeles Times
I see this same trait among the patients, families, caregivers, friends and researchers who comprise the rare-disease community.
Hussain Ahmed, 20, whose family lives in Machhar Colony, one of Karachi's largest slum areas where most of the population is comprised of Bengalis, does not have Pakistani nationality or an identity card.
From Barron's
In Connecticut, which along with New York and New Jersey comprises the metropolitan Tri-state area, Governor Ned Lamont signed an emergency order halting all commercial vehicles from traveling on highways across the state.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
