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.

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 inability to comprehend the significance of big numbers is a human affliction.

From Los Angeles Times

It can be hard for children to comprehend, and even more difficult for third parties to weigh in with theories that add context and meaning, rather than more noise and confusion.

From MarketWatch

Some pointed out that several passages used in the questions are excerpts from books that have been taken out of context, making them hard to comprehend.

From BBC

It’s almost impossible today to comprehend how such ships seized the popular imagination during the vessels’ heyday, which began in 1848, lasted scarcely a decade and vanished as completely as the Great Auk.

From The Wall Street Journal

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

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