comprehension
Americannoun
-
the act or process of comprehending.
-
the state of being comprehended.
-
perception or understanding.
His comprehension of physics is amazing for a young student.
-
capacity of the mind to perceive and understand; power to grasp ideas; ability to know.
-
Logic. the connotation of a term.
noun
-
the act or capacity of understanding
-
the state of including or comprising something; comprehensiveness
-
education an exercise consisting of a previously unseen passage of text with related questions, designed to test a student's understanding esp of a foreign language
-
obsolete logic the attributes implied by a given concept or term; connotation
Other Word Forms
- miscomprehension noun
- noncomprehension noun
- precomprehension noun
- supercomprehension noun
- uncomprehension noun
Etymology
Origin of comprehension
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin comprehēnsiōn-, stem of comprehēnsiō, from comprehēns(us) “understood” (past participle of comprehendere “to understand,” literally, “to seize together”; comprehend ) + -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.
It’s almost beyond comprehension that Americans have reached the point where we need to be reminded not to attack physicians or medical staff.
"Visual cues generally attract initial attention more effectively and support rapid comprehension, while sound cues tend to create a stronger emotional connection," she said.
From BBC
In preparation for kindergarten, Aunt Melissa insisted Lily start using my real name, but the word horoscope is still beyond her comprehension.
From Literature
While he still thinks his comprehension is "a little slow", Ellis said it had made him rethink his priorities in life.
From BBC
He watched as comprehension overtook her: it flooded her face, which grew pale and rigid.
From Literature
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.
