apprehension
Americannoun
-
anticipation of adversity or misfortune; suspicion or fear of future trouble or evil.
- Synonyms:
- suspicion, uneasiness, worry, alarm
- Antonyms:
- tranquility, composure
-
the faculty or act of apprehending or understanding; perception on a direct and immediate level.
-
acceptance of or receptivity to information without passing judgment on its validity, often without complete comprehension.
-
a view, opinion, or idea on any subject.
-
the act of arresting; seizure.
Police apprehension of the burglar was aided by two alert teenagers.
- Synonyms:
- capture
- Antonyms:
- release
noun
-
fear or anxiety over what may happen
-
the act of capturing or arresting
-
the faculty of comprehending; understanding
-
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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 • Mar. 25, 2026
Its creation, back in 2002, was seen by many as a mistake at the same time, and that apprehension has only been deepened.
From Slate • Jan. 15, 2026
This week, the Pentagon posted photos of a Coast Guard tactical team, sailors and Marines boarding an MH-60S Seahawk helicopter on the deck of the Ford ahead of an apprehension.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 9, 2026
A year-end wave of immigration raids in the Central Coast led to the apprehension of 147 people, sparking outrage from elected officials and immigrant-rights groups.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 2, 2026
She sounded nothing like La Llorona, and my apprehension began to subside.
From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall
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.
