comprise
[verb]
Synonyms:
- be composed of, consist of, contain, embrace, encompass, include, take in
- make up, compose, constitute, form

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English Thesaurus: consist of/be made up of, be composed of, comprise, make u

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

com‧prise W3 AC /kəmˈpraɪz/ verb [not in progressive] formal
[Date: 1400-1500; Language: Old French; Origin: past participle of comprendre, from Latin comprehendere; ⇒ comprehend]

1. [linking verb] to consist of particular parts, groups etc:
The house comprises two bedrooms, a kitchen, and a living room.
be comprised of somebody/something
The committee is comprised of well-known mountaineers.
► Do not say that something ‘comprises of’ things or people.

2. [transitive] to form part of a larger group of people or things Synonym : constitute, make up:
Women comprise a high proportion of part-time workers.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

comprise
verb
BAD: The former Soviet Union comprised of fifteen union republics.
GOOD: The former Soviet Union comprised fifteen union republics.

Usage Note:
CONTAIN · INCLUDE · ENCLOSE · CONSIST OF · COMPRISE · BE COMPOSED OF · BE MADE UP OF
Contain Use contain (1) when you say what a box, bottle, bag etc has inside it. ‘The bag contained some old clothes.’
(2) when you mention one or more of the things that something is made of or has in it: ‘Water contains hydrogen and oxygen.’ ‘The film contained a number of violent scenes.’
Include If something includes another thing, it has it as one of its parts: ‘The holiday package includes a two-day cruise along the Rhine.’ ‘The price includes a small charge for postage and packing.’
Enclose Use enclose when you tell someone what you are putting in the envelope or parcel that you are sending them: ‘I’m enclosing a copy of the book review that you asked for.’
Consist of, comprise (formal) be composed of, be made up of When you mention all the parts that something has in it, use consist of/comprise/be composed of/be made up of : ‘The book consists of six chapters and a brief introduction.’ ‘The earth’s atmosphere is composed mainly of nitrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide.’ ‘The house comprises two bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen, and a living room.’ ‘The US government is made up of two legislative assemblies.’ Note that you will sometimes see comprised of two separate packages. ‘ Most careful users consider this to be incorrect, preferring: ‘This investment scheme comprises two separate packages.’

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

consist of/be made up of to be formed from two or more things or people:
Lunch consisted of sandwiches and fruit.
The apartment consisted of three rooms.
The audience was largely made up of families.
be composed of to consist of something – used especially when saying which natural substances something contains, or what kind of people are in a group:
Every chemical element is composed of atoms.
Venus’ atmosphere is mainly composed of carbon dioxide.
The team was composed of leading scientists from around the world.
comprise /kəmˈpraɪz/ formal to consist of the things mentioned. Comprise can also be used to talk about the people or things which form something:
The event comprises a champagne reception, two-course lunch, and a fashion show.
Men still comprise the majority of people who have the disease.
make up (also constitute formal) to be the things or people that form something:
Women constitute a significant part of the workforce.
Toys make up about 10% of the company’s sales.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲