comprise
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[edit] English
[edit] Etymology
From Old French compris, past participle of comprendre, from Latin comprehendere, contr. comprendere, past participle comprehensus (“to comprehend”); see comprehend. Compare apprise, reprise, surprise.
[edit] Pronunciation
[edit] Verb
comprise (third-person singular simple present comprises, present participle comprising, simple past and past participle comprised)
- To be made up of; to consist of (especially a comprehensive list of parts). [from earlier 15th c.]
- The whole comprises the parts.
- The parts are comprised by the whole.
- 2011 December 10, David Ornstein, “Arsenal 1 - 0 Everton”, BBC Sport:
- Arsenal were playing without a recognised full-back - their defence comprising four centre-halves - and the lack of width was hindering their progress.
- To include, contain or embrace. [from earlier 15th c.]
- Our committee comprises a president, secretary, treasurer and five other members.
- (informal, considered incorrect in N America, usually in passive) To compose, to constitute. See usage note below.
- A team is comprised of its members.
- The members comprise the team.
- 1657, Isaac Barrow, Data (Euclid) (translation), Prop. XXX
- "Seeing then the angles comprised of equal right lines are equal, we have found the angle FDE equal to the angle ABC."
- (patents) To include, contain or embrace, but not implying an exhaustive list.
[edit] Usage notes
In N American English, the most recent usages, 3 and 4 above, whereby the passive form effectively means “the members comprise the team”, are usually informal and often considered incorrect. By the N American definition, a team comprises its members, whereas the members compose the team. It is not proper in N American English to use comprise in place of compose. With regard to journalistic writing, the Associated Press Stylebook maintains this distinction.
In British English, it is acceptable in both formal and informal speech to use a passive construction with "comprised of"[1], which is synonymous with, but more common than, an active construction with "comprises". For example, "the UK is comprised of four countries" is completely correct, and has the same meaning as the less common possibilities "the UK comprises four countries" and "four countries comprise the UK". Somewhat paradoxically, all three phrases have the same meaning. The use of "of" with an active use of the verb is unequivocally incorrect (see of: composition), thus "the UK comprises of four countries" is incorrect.
According to Webster's Dictionary, the usage dates back to the late 18th century, when it was usually found in technical writing. Webster's indicates that this usage is becoming increasingly common in nontechnical literature, while American Heritage Dictionary and Random House Dictionary state that it is an increasingly frequent and accepted usage.
[edit] Translations
[edit] Related terms
[edit] External links
- comprise in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
- comprise in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
[edit] References
[edit] French
[edit] Verb
comprise f.
- feminine past participle of comprendre
