apprehend

[ ap-ri-hend ]
/ ˌæp rɪˈhɛnd /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR apprehend ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to take into custody; arrest by legal warrant or authority: The police apprehended the burglars.
to grasp the meaning of; understand, especially intuitively; perceive.
to expect with anxiety, suspicion, or fear; anticipate: apprehending violence.

verb (used without object)

to understand.
to be apprehensive, suspicious, or fearful; fear.

Origin of apprehend

1350–1400; Middle English apprehenden < Latin apprehendere to grasp, equivalent to ap- ap-1 + prehendere to seize ( pre- pre- + -hendere to grasp)

OTHER WORDS FROM apprehend

ap·pre·hend·er, noun re·ap·pre·hend, verb un·ap·pre·hend·ed, adjective un·ap·pre·hend·ing, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH apprehend

apprehend comprehend

Words nearby apprehend

appreciable, appreciate, appreciation, appreciative, appreciatory, apprehend, apprehensible, apprehension, apprehensive, apprentice, appressed

Words related to apprehend

capture, bust, seize, catch, believe, nab, cop, nail, bag, grab, collar, realize, get, read, absorb, conceive, imagine, appreciate, fathom, perceive

Example sentences from the Web for apprehend

British Dictionary definitions for apprehend

apprehend
/ (ˌæprɪˈhɛnd) /

verb

(tr) to arrest and escort into custody; seize
to perceive or grasp mentally; understand
(tr) to await with fear or anxiety; dread

Word Origin for apprehend

C14: from Latin apprehendere to lay hold of