The difference between Comprise and Make up

When used as verbs, comprise means to be made up of, whereas make up means to constitute.


check bellow for the other definitions of Comprise and Make up

  1. Comprise as a verb:

    To be made up of; to consist of (especially a comprehensive list of parts).

    Examples:

    "The whole comprises the parts."

    "The parts are comprised by the whole.<br>However, the passive voice of ''comprise'' must be employed carefully to make sense. Phrases such as "animals and cages are comprised by zoos" or "pitchers, catchers, and fielders are comprised by baseball teams" highlight the difficulty."

  2. Comprise as a verb:

    To contain or embrace.

    Examples:

    "Our committee comprises a president, secretary, treasurer and five other members."

  3. Comprise as a verb (sometimes, proscribed, usually in the passive):

    To compose, to constitute. See usage note below.

    Examples:

    "A team is comprised of its members."

    "The members comprise the team."

  4. Comprise as a verb (patent law):

    To include, contain, or be made up of, defining the minimum elements, whether essential or inessential, to define an invention. ("Open-ended", doesn't limit to the items listed; cf. compose, which is "closed" and limits to the items listed.)

  1. Make up as a verb (transitive):

    To constitute; to compose; to form.

  2. Make up as a verb (transitive):

    To compensate, fill in or catch up.

    Examples:

    "He can make up the time next week."

    "I plan to make up for my failed midterm."

    "Cuba took limited free market-oriented measures to alleviate severe shortages of food, consumer goods, and services to make up for the ending of Soviet subsidies."

  3. Make up as a verb (transitive):

    To invent, imagine, or concoct (a story, claim, etc.).

    Examples:

    "He was a great storyteller and could make up a story on the spot."

  4. Make up as a verb (transitive, cooking):

    To assemble, or mix.

    Examples:

    "I can make up a batch of stew in a few minutes, but it will take a few hours to cook."

  5. Make up as a verb (transitive):

    To apply cosmetics or makeup to.

    Examples:

    "Let's leave as soon as I make up my face."

  6. Make up as a verb (intransitive):

    To resolve, forgive or smooth over an argument or fight.

    Examples:

    "They fight a lot, but they always manage to make up."

  7. Make up as a verb:

    To overcome a disadvantage.

  8. Make up as a verb:

    To make social or romantic advances ; to pay court (to).

  9. Make up as a verb:

    genetic material, the genetic 'makeup' of a thing, in a living creature.

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