First Known Use: 15th century
Dictionary
apprehend
verb ap·pre·hend \ˌa-pri-ˈhend\
of police : to arrest (someone) for a crime : to catch (a criminal or suspect)
: to notice and understand (something)
Full Definition of APPREHEND
transitive verb
2
a : to become aware of : perceive b : to anticipate especially with anxiety, dread, or fear
3
: to grasp with the understanding : recognize the meaning of
intransitive verb
: understand, grasp
See apprehend defined for English-language learners
See apprehend defined for kids
ADVERTISEMENT
Origin of APPREHEND
Middle English, from Latin apprehendere, literally, to seize, from ad- + prehendere to seize — more at get
Related to APPREHEND
- Synonyms
- appreciate, comprehend, assimilate, behold, catch, catch on (to), cognize, compass, conceive, cotton (to or on to), decipher, decode, dig, discern, get, grasp, grok, intuit, know, make, make out, perceive, recognize, register, savvy, see, seize, sense, tumble (to), twig, understand
- Antonyms
- miss
Rhymes with APPREHEND
APPREHENDED Defined for Kids
apprehend
verb ap·pre·hend \ˌa-pri-ˈhend\
ap·pre·hend·edap·pre·hend·ing
Definition of APPREHEND for Kids
1
: 1arrest 1 <Police apprehended the burglar.>
2
: to look forward to with fear and uncertainty <… there was no need of all this caution from the enemies that I apprehended danger from. — Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe>
3
: understand 1 <apprehend the meaning>
Learn More About APPREHEND
Browse
Next Word in the Dictionary: apprehensibilityPrevious Word in the Dictionary: appreciativeAll Words Near: apprehend
ADVERTISEMENT
Seen & Heard
What made you want to look up apprehend? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).