comprise
Definitions
To consist of; to be made up of
由……组成，包含
To make up; to constitute (the parts ~ the whole)
构成（部分构成整体）
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedcom- (fully) + prise (a taking-in, the French-worn form of prehendere) = 'to take all in.' A whole comprises its parts by gathering them into one — the same grab as comprehend, but applied to membership rather than meaning. The -prise spelling is just -prehend- smoothed down through French.
Root prehens still carries 16 more wordsUsage Guide
Classic usage: the whole comprises the parts (The book comprises ten chapters) — no 'of.' The passive 'is comprised of' (The book is comprised of ten chapters) is extremely common but disliked by careful writers, who prefer 'is composed of' or 'consists of.' Safe rule: whole + comprises + parts, active, no 'of.'
Example Sentences
- 1.
The committee comprises eight members from different departments.
- 2.
Water comprises two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen.
- 3.
Women comprise nearly half of the workforce.
Synonym Comparison
- comprise — whole takes in its parts: The team comprises five players
- compose — usually passive: The team is composed of five players
- consist of — always with 'of': The team consists of five players
- constitute — parts make up the whole (reverse direction): Five players constitute the team
- include — lists some parts, not necessarily all: The team includes two veterans