comprehend
Americanverb
-
to perceive or understand
-
(tr) to comprise or embrace; include
Usage
What are other ways to say comprehend? To comprehend something is to grasp it with the mind. How is comprehend different from know and understand? Learn more on Thesaurus.com.
Related Words
See include.
Other Word Forms
- comprehender noun
- comprehendingly adverb
- noncomprehending adjective
- noncomprehendingly adverb
- precomprehend verb (used with object)
- self-comprehending adjective
- uncomprehended adjective
- uncomprehending adjective
- uncomprehendingly adverb
- well-comprehended adjective
Etymology
Origin of comprehend
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English comprehenden, from Latin comprehendere, from com- com- + prehendere “to seize” ( prehension )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The U.S. requires a commercial driver to read, speak and comprehend English at a basic level to adequately communicate with law enforcement and the public in case of an emergency.
Ackerley’s efforts to comprehend every aspect of Tulip’s body and mind are more than enough to carry the book.
O’Brien also noted the hole left by Reiner’s death when it came to celebrity political activism, saying “to have that voice go quiet in an instant is still hard for me to comprehend.”
From Salon
The other two were creating an artificial intelligence that allowed the robot to comprehend the world, and making robots in large numbers.
From BBC
Then Lily pulls out a complicated game involving a frog that eats worms, burps bubbles, and—for reasons I cannot comprehend—wears a top hat.
From Literature
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
