Synonyms

comprehend

American

[kom-pri-hend] / ˌkɒm prɪˈhɛnd /

verb (used with object)

to understand the nature or meaning of; grasp with the mind; perceive.

He did not comprehend the significance of the ambassador's remark.
to take in or embrace; include; comprise.

The course will comprehend all facets of Japanese culture.

comprehend British

/ ˌkɒmprɪˈhɛnd /

verb

to perceive or understand
(tr) to comprise or embrace; include

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

Synonym Usage

See include.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of comprehend

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English comprehenden, from Latin comprehendere, from com- com- + prehendere “to seize” ( see prehension)

Explanation

To comprehend something is to understand it, like when you have to read a difficult passage more than once in order to comprehend it. When you comprehend something, you grasp its meaning. Comprehend is a verb that originates from the Latin word comprehendere, which means “catch or seize.” When an idea is clear to you and you understand it completely, you comprehend it, like doing extra problems to make sure you comprehend a difficult algebra rule, or finding it hard to comprehend why someone would paint his house neon yellow.

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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.

See Examples For:

comprehend comprehends comprehended comprehending

“We just couldn’t comprehend the enormity of it. There was some comfort in watching it as a group. But not much.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

At first, she struggled to comprehend the danger.

From Barron's ● Sep. 6, 2026

Huang said that world models, which are designed to comprehend real-world physics, may still struggle to actually achieve that goal in three years.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 5, 2026

The stark difference between neighbouring properties can make the destruction difficult to comprehend for many people.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

I waited, expecting he would say something I could at least comprehend; but his hand was now at his chin, his finger on his lip: he was thinking.

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë

College Football Brain is why we still have Zombie Bowl games layered on top of this 12-team playoff, as if anyone actually cares or comprehends why the quarterfinal needs to masquerade as the Cotton Bowl.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 1, 2025

Lewis came up with an approach and strategy that showed that she, at least, is an American who now comprehends the true dynamics that yield success in these matches.

From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2024

They communicate verbally and also, often in games, only with a nod or a look that the other instantly comprehends.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2024

“I don’t think she comprehends the breadth and depth of the suffering she has caused,” a tearful Ruetten said.

From Seattle Times ● May 21, 2024

But also he would have understood the other part, which I don’t think even Mercer comprehends.

From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick

Manjusri, with a calm smile, gently raises his hand to counter that the true nonmaterial essence of the Buddha can never be comprehended before transcending the material world.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

Online discourse about any show ignites an array of interpretations concerning the producers’ choices, along with revealing who comprehended King’s overarching messages concerning fear.

From Salon ● Dec. 8, 2025

I intellectually comprehended this rule, but living through it was another thing entirely.

From Slate ● Sep. 4, 2025

“The Argonauts” revolutionized the way queer family-making is written about, talked about and comprehended.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 14, 2025

The old man blinked for a moment and then comprehended, and cackled with laughter.

From "The Good Earth" by Pearl S. Buck

“Higher capacity is required for complex transactions like contracts, which require not just grasping the immediate exchange, but also comprehending finer details, consequences and the broader context.”

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026

And once comprehending, shall he go with the flow?

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 9, 2026

Yet as commander in chief, wisely comprehending that no war to save the Union could be waged, much less won, exclusively by Republicans, Lincoln sought out Democrats to help battle secession.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 5, 2026

"They can't remember what things are called, can't finish a sentence, have trouble comprehending a text."

From BBC ● Feb. 1, 2026

Think of your ’ and the face watching her, comprehending, still serene, not even bitter: “ ‘Oh.

From "Absalom, Absalom!" by William Faulkner

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023