comprised principally of

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "comprised principally of" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe the main components or elements that make up a whole, emphasizing the primary constituents. Example: "The committee is comprised principally of experts in environmental science."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

12 human-written examples

The reef is comprised principally of Lophelia pertusa at depths between 70 and 160 m.

Journal of Sea Research

Some that maintain a strong policy position against prostitution are nevertheless comfortable with a marginalised and closeted sex industry comprised principally of exploited foreigners.

The Guardian

These two times represent respective points at which model middle phalanges are comprised principally of organic components while being largely unmineralized and later become increasingly more mineralized.

Bone

Then they say another 25% is household goods; another 25% large furniture items; and the remaining 15% is "comprised principally of small business inventory".

TechCrunch

The Bailey Papers are comprised principally of correspondence and supporting printed material, although there are also financial records, clippings, volumes, broadsides, pictures, and memorabilia.

Duke University

By contrast, the smaller NPs are comprised principally of maghemite, indicating that a smaller NP dimension is beneficial in prompting the wustite magnetite maghemite transformation process.

Nanoscale Research Letters

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

48 human-written examples

The kingdom comprised, principally, the area of the modern provinces of Granada, Málaga, and Almería.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Cigarette smoke aerosol has a visible minority particle fraction (5%) suspended within an invisible majority gas and vapour phase in air; this vapour phase comprising principally products of combustion [21].

Chemistry Central Journal

The Retail, services, finance and other investments segment comprises, principally, the management of investments in retail, service, finance and other business.

Forbes

The Others segment comprises, principally, the sales of chassis, spare parts, complete knock down, semi knock down products, the software and system integration and other related businesses.

Forbes

The spectrin family of proteins represents a discrete group of cytoskeletal proteins comprising principally α-actinin, spectrin, dystrophin, and homologues and isoforms.

Journal of Structural Biology

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "comprised principally of", ensure that the components you are listing are indeed the main or most significant parts of the whole. If there are other components of similar importance, consider using "comprised mainly of" or "comprised largely of".

Common error

Avoid using "comprised principally of" when describing something with a wide array of equally important components. Overusing it can give a false sense of hierarchy or relative importance where none exists.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "comprised principally of" functions as a prepositional phrase that modifies a noun or noun phrase. It indicates the main components or constituents of something. Ludwig AI confirms that the phrase is grammatically correct and usable.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

40%

News & Media

20%

Academia

15%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

10%

Wiki

3%

Formal & Business

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "comprised principally of" is a grammatically sound and frequently employed prepositional phrase utilized to delineate the primary components of a subject. As Ludwig AI confirms, its function is to specify the main elements that constitute a whole, predominantly in contexts of science, news, and academia. While alternatives like "mainly composed of" or "primarily made up of" exist, the choice depends on the desired level of formality and emphasis. When employing this phrase, clarity regarding the relative importance of the listed components is key to avoid misrepresenting the composition.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

primarily consisting of

A direct synonym using different word order while preserving the core meaning.

mainly composed of

This alternative shifts the focus to composition rather than comprising, emphasizing the constituent elements.

primarily made up of

This alternative uses a more common and straightforward phrasing, replacing "comprised" with "made up" and "principally" with "primarily".

largely made up of

A more informal version using "made up of" in place of "comprised".

chiefly composed of

A concise version that replaces "principally" with "chiefly".

largely constituted of

This alternative uses "constituted" instead of "comprised", suggesting a more formal or structural composition.

chiefly consisting of

This alternative replaces "comprised" with "consisting", focusing on what something contains, and uses "chiefly" instead of "principally".

mainly constituted by

This swaps "composed" for "constituted" and uses "by" rather than "of" to indicate the elements.

predominantly formed of

This alternative emphasizes the formation process using "formed" and replaces "principally" with "predominantly".

essentially composed of

This alternative highlights the core or essential components using "essentially" instead of "principally".

FAQs

What does "comprised principally of" mean?

The phrase "comprised principally of" means that something is mainly or primarily made up of specific components or elements. It highlights the most significant constituents of a whole.

How can I use "comprised principally of" in a sentence?

You can use "comprised principally of" to describe the main elements that constitute something. For example, "The committee is "comprised principally of" experts in environmental science".

What are some alternatives to "comprised principally of"?

Alternatives to "comprised principally of" include "mainly composed of", "primarily made up of", or "largely constituted of", depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "comprised of" or "composed of"?

Both "comprised of" and "composed of" are grammatically correct, but they are used differently. "Comprise" means to include or contain, while "compose" means to form or create. So, you can say something comprises certain elements, or certain elements compose something. "Comprised principally of" specifies the main elements included.