More than 17.6 million firms compose the business sector of our economy.

Question

Comprise[transitive] to form part of a larger group of people or things[= constitute, make up]:Women comprise a high proportion of part-time workers.Composeb) [transitive not in progressive] formal to combine together to form something [= make up]:More than 17.6 million firms compose the business sector of our economy.-  Longman  -These are definitions by the dictionary and I know well about the difference between comprise and compose but if comprise is used to mean make up, I think that the two words are interchangeable for the same meaning, according to the definitions and the examples. What do you native English speakers think? Thank you as usual in advance.

Avangi · Accepted Answer

Hans51What do you native English speakers think?

I'm afraid I'm old-fashioned about "comprise."

Many native speakers say, "the group is comprised of its members." I don't believe that this is correct.

The group comprises its members; the members don't comprise the group.

It's a transitive verb. It's like "The group embraces its members."

Hans51I know well about the difference between comprise and compose

Hans51 if comprise is used to mean make up, I think that the two words are interchangeable

Would you say, "The group composes its members?" I don't think so.

Obviously, I don't subscribe to the definitions you quote. I suspect they may have degenerated through the years.

But I do agree with you that if "comprise" is used (erroneously) to mean "make up," then comprise and compose could be used interchangeably.

Hans51 · Answer

Thank you and I am with you but when comprise is used to mean

[VERB] The things or people that comprise something are the parts or members that form it.
Women comprise 44% of hospital medical staff.

I think that the meaning is the same as compose like

[VERB] The separate things that compose something are the parts or members that form it.

Protein molecules compose all the complex working parts of living cells.

Or although comprise has a meaning of the definition, the two words are used differently and then can you give me a way to choose a right word?

GPY · Answer

AvangiI'm afraid I'm old-fashioned about "comprise."Many native speakers say, "the group is comprised of its members." I don't believe that this is correct.The group comprises its members; the members don't comprise the group.

For me, "the group is comprised of its members" sounds horrible, but I accept "the members comprise the group".

Avangi · Answer

Hans51 Or although comprise has a meaning of the definition, the two words are used differently and then can you give me a way to choose a right word?

I'm probably a bad person to give you practical advice on this usage.
I don't have Longman, but I know that many "English learners"/ ESL students revere this work.
He and others have moved on from the position I was taught "in no uncertain terms!" in the '50's.

You originally asked what we "native speakers" thought, so I took that as license to give you my personal opinion.
It's probably obsolete.

ETA
I have to admit that it thrills me to occasionally hear "comprise" used in the way I had been taught. Nevertheless, I'm conflicted, because if the new definition is correct, the old one can't possibly be so. The meanings are opposite.

An announcer on a popular Los Angeles radio station has been reading ad nauseam an advertisement for a local software company which is made up of several smaller companies. I believe he uses the phrase, "which comprises over forty smaller companies." This guy is much younger than I am. (Perhaps he didn't write the ad himself.) Anyway, according to my education, this is correct.

More than 17.6 million firms compose the business sector of our economy.

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