COMPRISE

transitive verb (~d; comprising) Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French compris, past participle of comprendre, from Latin comprehendere Date: 15th century to include especially within a particular scope , to be made up of , compose , constitute , Usage: Although it has been in use since the late 18th century, sense 3 is still attacked as wrong. Why it has been singled out is not clear, but until comparatively recent times it was found chiefly in scientific or technical writing rather than belles lettres. Our current evidence shows a slight shift in usage: sense 3 is somewhat more frequent in recent literary use than the earlier senses. You should be aware, however, that if you use sense 3 you may be subject to criticism for doing so, and you may want to choose a safer synonym such as compose or make up.