What does comprise mean?
To comprise is to consist of or be made up of distinct parts: the United States comprises fifty states, a symphony comprises four movements. In its traditional and still-preferred sense, the whole comprises the parts — the reverse relationship holds for 'compose', where the parts compose the whole. A second, older sense treats comprise as meaning simply to include or embrace within itself, while a third, looser modern sense allows the parts themselves to 'comprise' the whole. This flexibility has made comprise one of the most contested words in English grammar: style guides have long condemned the popular phrase 'is comprised of', yet usage surveys show it thriving in ordinary writing. Formal, precise, and common in official documents, academic prose, and journalism, comprise rewards writers who understand its direction of fit. Its Latin ancestry links it to a family of 'grasping' words such as comprehend and apprehend, reflecting an underlying idea of taking hold of something as a complete unit.
verbTo consist of or be made up of a number of parts; the whole comprises its parts. Also, more loosely in modern use, to constitute or make up.
- To consist of or be made up of specified parts (the whole comprises the parts).
- To include, contain, or embrace within itself.
- To constitute or make up (parts comprising the whole) — a looser, increasingly accepted modern sense.
"The committee comprises twelve members drawn from every department."
"The United Kingdom comprises England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland."
"Her portfolio comprised a mix of equities, bonds, and property."
Grammar purists have fought for two centuries over 'is comprised of' — yet it remains one of the most commonly used (and most criticized) phrases in English.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of comprise
Comprise entered English in the late Middle English period, borrowed from the French comprendre, which derives from the Latin comprehendere, formed from com- ('together') plus prehendere ('to seize, grasp'). The same Latin root produced English cognates such as comprehend, comprehension, apprehend, and comprehensive, while the related French verb prendre gave rise to enterprise. The word's core sense of 'grasping together' underlies both its meaning of containing parts and its long-standing grammatical controversies.
How comprise is actually used
Formal to neutral register, common in official, academic, and business writing. Traditional style guides insist that the whole comprises the parts and reject the passive 'is comprised of', though this form is widespread in everyday use. The sense in which parts 'comprise' a whole is now broadly accepted but was historically considered an error.
Easily confused with comprise
In traditional usage the whole comprises its parts ('the team comprises ten players'), while the parts compose the whole ('ten players compose the team').
'Include' suggests a partial list of some parts, whereas 'comprise' traditionally implies all the parts making up the whole.