apprehend

Meaning

1. (transitive) To be or become aware of (something); to perceive.
2. (transitive) To acknowledge the existence of (something); to recognize.
3. (transitive) To take hold of (something) with understanding; to conceive (something) in the mind; to become cognizant of; to understand.
4. (transitive) To have a conception of (something); to consider, to regard.
5. (transitive) To anticipate (something, usually unpleasant); especially, to anticipate (something) with anxiety, dread, or fear; to dread, to fear.
6. (also, archaic, figuratively, obsolete, transitive) To seize or take (something); to take hold of.
7. (transitive) To seize or take (a person) by legal process; to arrest.
8. (obsolete, transitive) To feel (something) emotionally.
9. (obsolete, transitive) To learn (something).
10. (also, figuratively, obsolete, transitive) To take possession of (something); to seize.
11. (intransitive, transitive) To be of opinion, believe, or think; to suppose.
12. (intransitive, transitive) To understand.
13. (intransitive, transitive) To be apprehensive; to fear.

Synonyms

arrest

understand

seize

catch

capture

grasp

comprehend

detain

perceive

fear

😨

grab

nab

conceive

see

👀

realize

savvy

compass

🧭

dig

dread

grok

take in

get the picture

grapple

take

collar

trap

🪤

know

captivate

hold

appreciate

cop

👮

quail at

be afraid

confiscate

get

anticipate

snatch

figure out

read

📖

notice

pick up

imprison

interpret

nail

nick

detection

bring

deduct

become aware

constrain

Translations

appréhender

comprendre

festnehmen

capire

verstehen

entender

comprender

arrêter

saisir

erfassen

detener

entender

begreifen

arrestare

aprehender

Pronounced as (IPA)

/æpɹiˈhɛnd/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: apprehenden

Cognate with French: appréhender

In summary

From Late Middle English apprehenden (“to grasp, take hold of; to comprehend; to learn”), from Old French apprehender (modern French appréhender (“to apprehend; to catch; to dread”)), from Latin apprehendere, adprehendere, the present active infinitive of apprehendō, adprehendō (“to grab, grasp, seize, take; to apprehend, arrest; to comprehend, understand; to embrace, include; to take possession of, obtain, secure”), from ap-, ad- (prefix meaning ‘to’) + prehendō (“to grab, grasp, seize, snatch, take; to accost; to catch in the act, take by surprise; (figuratively, rare) of the mind: to apprehend, comprehend, grasp”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʰed- (“to hold, seize, take; to find”)).