Definition of COMPRISING (original) (raw)
1
: to be made up of
The factory was to be a vast installation, comprising fifty buildings.—
Jane Jacobs
The play comprises three acts.
2
… a misconception as to what comprises a literary generation.—William Styron
… about 8 percent of our military forces are comprised of women.—Jimmy Carter
3
: to include especially within a particular scope
… civilization as Lenin used the term would then certainly have comprised the changes that are now associated in our minds with "developed" rather than "developing" states.—The Times Literary Supplement (London)
Comprise vs. Compose: Usage Guide
Although it has been in use since the late 18th century, sense 2 is still attacked as wrong. Why it has been singled out is not clear, but until comparatively recent times it was found chiefly in scientific or technical writing rather than belles lettres. Our current evidence shows a slight shift in usage: sense 2 is somewhat more frequent in recent literary use than the earlier senses. You should be aware, however, that if you use sense 2 you may be subject to criticism for doing so, and you may want to choose a safer synonym such as compose or make up.
Did you know?
The earliest meaning of comprise, "to be made up of" (as in "a team comprising nine players"), is sometimes regarded as the word's only correct use. However, this grammatical prescription denies a well-established sense of the word: "to compose or constitute" (as in "the nine players who comprise the team"). Until relatively recently, this sense appeared mostly in scientific writing, but current evidence shows that it is now somewhat more common in general use than the word's other meanings. You might be most familiar with this disputed use in the passive construction, "to be comprised of" (as in "a team comprised of nine players"). Apologies to the haters: a single sense simply can’t comprise comprise.
Synonyms
Examples of comprise in a Sentence
Each army division comprised 4,500 troops. The play comprises three acts.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Meanwhile, people aged 65 and older now comprise nearly 30 percent of the population. —Dan Perry, Newsweek, 18 Dec. 2024 Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). —Keith Caulfield, Billboard, 17 Dec. 2024 The Manhattan Outreach Consortium, which comprises multiple street homeless outreach groups operating in the borough, has in recent weeks privately urged the mayor’s office to restore the full hotspot funding stream, according to sources involved in those talks. —Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 17 Dec. 2024 The Departments of the Treasury, Interior, Transportation, Commerce and Health and Human Services comprise the top five with 1,449 rules among them, accounting for 43 percent of the total. —Clyde Wayne Crews Jr., Forbes, 15 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for comprise 
Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Anglo-French compris, past participle of comprendre, from Latin comprehendere — see comprehend
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3
Time Traveler
The first known use of comprise was in the 15th century
Dictionary Entries Near comprise
Cite this Entry
“Comprise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/comprise. Accessed 28 Dec. 2024.
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Last Updated: 21 Dec 2024 - Updated example sentences
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