Comprise
/kəmˈpraɪz/
Definitions
To include or contain; to be composed of.
/kəmˈpraɪz/
To consist of or be made up of
The committee comprises experts from various fields.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're making a sandwich. If the sandwich *comprises* bread, cheese, and ham, that means those are the ingredients that make it up. The sandwich *is comprised of* those things.
👶 For kids: To make up something. Like, a pizza *comprises* dough, sauce, cheese, and toppings!
More Examples
The library comprises a vast collection of books.
The jury comprises seven members and five alternates.
How It's Used
"The team comprises ten players."
"The study comprises three distinct phases."
From French *comprendre* ("to include, contain"), ultimately from Latin *comprehendere* ("to grasp, seize, understand").
Historically, 'comprise' was sometimes used interchangeably with 'compose', but in modern English, 'comprise' is generally used in the active voice (e.g., 'The team comprises five players').
Memory tip
Think of a PIE chart (comPRise) that includes all the ingredients (parts).