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tr.v. com·prised, com·pris·ing, com·pris·es 1. To be composed of or contain: The staff comprises eight physicians, two dozen nurses, and various administrative people. See Synonyms at include. 2. Usage Problem To compose; make up; constitute: the countries and territories that comprised the British Empire. [Middle English comprisen, from Old French compris, past participle of comprendre, to include, from Latin comprehendere, comprēndere; see COMPREHEND.] com·prisa·ble adj. Usage Note: The traditional rule states that the whole comprises the parts and the parts compose the whole. In strict usage: The Union comprises 50 states. Fifty states compose (or make up) the Union. Even though many writers maintain this distinction, comprise is often used in place of compose, especially in the passive: The Union is comprised of 50 states. Our surveys show that opposition to this usage has abated but has not disappeared. In the 1960s, 53 percent of the Usage Panel found this usage unacceptable; by 1996, the proportion objecting had declined to 35 percent; and by 2011, it had fallen a bit more, to 32 percent. See Usage Note at include. |
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