apprehension

American  

[ap-ri-hen-shuhn] / ˌæp rɪˈhɛn ʃən /

noun

1. anticipation of adversity or misfortune; suspicion or fear of future trouble or evil.

   Synonyms:

   suspicion, uneasiness, worry, alarm

   Antonyms:

   tranquility, composure

2. the faculty or act of apprehending or understanding; perception on a direct and immediate level.

3. acceptance of or receptivity to information without passing judgment on its validity, often without complete comprehension.

4. a view, opinion, or idea on any subject.

5. the act of arresting; seizure.

   Police apprehension of the burglar was aided by two alert teenagers.

   Synonyms:

   capture

   Antonyms:

   release

---

apprehension British  

/ ˌæprɪˈhɛnʃən /

noun

1. fear or anxiety over what may happen

2. the act of capturing or arresting

3. the faculty of comprehending; understanding

4. a notion or conception

---

Related Words

Apprehension, anxiety, misgiving imply an unsettled and uneasy state of mind. Apprehension is an active state of fear, usually of some danger or misfortune: apprehension before opening a telegram. Anxiety is a somewhat prolonged state of apprehensive worry: anxiety because of a reduced income. Misgiving implies a dubious uncertainty or suspicion, as well as uneasiness: to have misgivings about the investment.

Other Word Forms

• nonapprehension noun
• overapprehension noun
• preapprehension noun
• reapprehension noun

Etymology

Origin of apprehension

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Old French, from Late Latin apprehēnsiōn-, stem of apprehēnsiō, from apprehēns(us) “grasped” (past participle of apprehendere “to grasp”; apprehend ) + -iō -ion

Example Sentences

This extra confidence comes despite the war in Iran causing volatility in the oil and equities markets, and even as investing pros on Wall Street feel apprehension about risks of potential stagflation and interest-rate hikes.

From MarketWatch

“The markets continue to interpret the conflicting headlines as an indication that we are closer to an end than we were on Friday, but apprehension remains high,” Arlan Suderman of StoneX says in a note.

From The Wall Street Journal

"A lot of the previous limit on contact seems to be due to Pyongyang's apprehensions about broader contact, which have diminished," Chong told AFP.

From Barron's

There’s a lot of truth in worker apprehension: 99% of executives polled said AI will result in some head-count reductions within two years.

From MarketWatch

Chip was already punching in numbers, each digital beep adding to Jonah’s sense of apprehension.

From Literature

Related Words

• alarm
• disquiet
• doubt
• dread
• foreboding
• misgiving
• mistrust
• suspicion
• trepidation
• uneasiness
• worry