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.
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to form or constitute.
Seminars and lectures comprised the day's activities.
idioms
verb
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to include; contain
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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
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comprisesimple
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comprisessimple
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have comprisedperfect
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has comprisedperfect
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am comprisingprogressive
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are comprisingprogressive
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is comprisingprogressive
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have been comprisingperfect progressive
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has been comprisingperfect progressive
Past
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comprisedsimple
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had comprisedperfect
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was comprisingprogressive
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were comprisingprogressive
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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.
Not only does the stock market comprise a greater share of American wealth than ever before, but it has also reached new extremes in terms of heft relative to the broader economy.
From MarketWatch • Jul. 11, 2026
The plans are in line with Lee's agenda for industrial development in regions outside the capital, and Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan said the Samsung-SK hynix project will comprise four fabrication plants.
From Barron's • Jun. 29, 2026
But before it was vanquished, the blaze chewed through about a third of the island, one of five that comprise Channel Islands National Park.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026
The tariff decision comes after the US began an investigation in March into the 60 trading partners, which comprise 99.4% of US imports, over the forced labour concerns.
From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026
The pages that comprise it are printed with Shakespearean sonnets.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
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.
