Does Comprise Mean Compose?

Let's take a closer look at the definitions to put this in context: comprise is a verb that means “to include or contain” or “to consist of” as in The pie comprises 8 slices. Compose means “to be or constitute a part of element of” or “to make up or form the basis of,” as in Eight slices compose the pie.

When to use compose or comprise?

Comprise means “to include” or “to be composed of.” A basketball team comprises five players. Comprise is often misused for compose. It's common for speakers to say that a basketball team “is comprised of five players” instead of “is composed of five players.”

How do you use comprise correctly?

Proper Usage of Comprise

Comprise, in its simplest form, means “to contain.” For example, you could correctly say, "The farm comprises ten cows, three horses, five sheep, and four pigs." This is just like saying, "The farm contains ten cows, three horses, five sheep, and four pigs."