comprehension

American  

[kom-pri-hen-shuhn] / ˌkɒm prɪˈhɛn ʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of comprehending.

2. the state of being comprehended.

3. perception or understanding.

   His comprehension of physics is amazing for a young student.

4. capacity of the mind to perceive and understand; power to grasp ideas; ability to know.

5. Logic. the connotation of a term.

6. inclusion.

7. comprehensiveness.

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comprehension British  

/ ˌkɒmprɪˈhɛnʃən /

noun

1. the act or capacity of understanding

2. the state of including or comprising something; comprehensiveness

3. 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

4. obsolete logic the attributes implied by a given concept or term; connotation

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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

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

This extremely human rendering of the healer’s challenge conveys a broader scope of comprehension than any other medical drama.

From Salon

The passages chosen have "some degree of specialisation", which allows the test to assess such comprehension skills, he told The Korea Times.

From BBC

Related Words

• apprehension
• awareness