apprehension
noun
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Latin Helps Build Apprehension
There’s quite a bit to comprehend about apprehension, so let’s take a closer look at its history. The Latin ancestor of apprehension (and of comprehend, prehensile, and even prison, among others) is the verb prehendere, meaning “to grasp” or “to seize.” When it was first used in the 14th century, apprehension could refer to the act of learning, a sense that is now obsolete, or the ability or power to understand things—learning and understanding both being ways to “grasp” knowledge or information. It wasn’t until the late 16th century that apprehension was used, as it still is today, for the physical seizure of something or someone (as an arrest). The most commonly used sense of apprehension today refers to a feeling that something bad is about to happen, when you seize up, perhaps, with anxiety or dread, having grasped all the unpleasant possibilities.
Examples of apprehension in a Sentence
ArsTechnica, 16 June 2025
Recent developments have intensified investor apprehension.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
In a pre-election interview, Seltzer acknowledged the growing apprehension.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 June 2025
The Times has not identified apprehensions by any local police agency that occurred after the April 18 injunction.
—Hannah Critchfield, Sun Sentinel, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for apprehension
Cite this Entry
“Apprehension.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/apprehension. Accessed 29 Jun. 2025.
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apprehension
noun
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apprehension
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