comprise

/kəm'praiz/

Thân thiện

The committee comprises five members.

Definition

1. Verb:
   • To consist of, to be made up of: To have as parts or members. This is the most common and correct usage, indicating what the whole is formed from.
   • To constitute, to make up: To form or compose a whole. This usage is also correct but less common, indicating the parts that together form the whole.

Usage

• The verb comprise is often used in the passive voice ("be comprised of"), but this is considered by some style guides to be less preferable than the active form. The most traditional and widely accepted construction is "The whole comprises the parts."
• It is a transitive verb and requires a direct object.

Examples

• Active voice (Whole comprises parts):
  • The United Kingdom comprises England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
  • The collection comprises over 500 rare manuscripts.
• Passive voice (Whole is comprised of parts) - Note: common but sometimes debated:
  • The committee is comprised of ten experts. (A more traditional alternative: The committee comprises ten experts. or The committee is composed of ten experts.)

Advanced Usage

• "Comprise" vs. "Compose": "Comprise" means "to include or contain." The whole comprises the parts. "Compose" means "to make up, to form." The parts compose the whole. (e.g., )
• "Comprise" vs. "Constitute": These can be synonyms when meaning "to form or make up." However, "constitute" is more often used for the parts forming the whole, similar to "compose." (e.g., )

Variants and Related Words

• Comprisal (n): The act of comprising or the state of being comprised. (Rarely used).
• Comprehensive (adj): Including or dealing with all or nearly all elements or aspects of something. (Shares the root meaning of "to include").

Synonyms

• Include: To contain as a part of a whole.
• Contain: To have within or as part of itself.
• Embrace: To include comprehensively.
• Encompass: To include comprehensively within a scope.
• Incorporate: To include as part of a whole.

Common Errors and Clarifications

• Incorrect: "The pie is comprised of apples and berries." (While common, "is composed of" or "consists of" is often preferred in formal writing).
• Correct: "The pie comprises apples and berries." or "Apples and berries comprise the pie." (Note the shift in subject).
• Remember: The whole comprises the parts. The parts constitute or compose the whole.

Học thuật

Verb

1. form or compose
   • This money is my only income
   • The stone wall was the backdrop for the performance
   • These constitute my entire belonging
   • The children made up the chorus
   • This sum represents my entire income for a year
   • These few men comprise his entire army
2. include or contain; have as a component
   • A totally new idea is comprised in this paper
   • The record contains many old songs from the 1930's
3. be composed of
   • The land he conquered comprised several provinces
   • What does this dish consist of?

Từ đồng nghĩa

• constitute
• represent
• make up
• be
• incorporate
• contain
• consist