apprehension
noun
Did you know?
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
Laura Doan, CBS News, 4 Mar. 2025
The skepticism has spread to the world of the creator economy, where AI has been met with apprehension.
—Solo Ceesay, Rolling Stone, 26 Feb. 2025
And during the last seven days, officers have made 30 National Crime Information Center fugitive apprehensions.
—Saleen Martin, USA TODAY, 24 Feb. 2025
Many of those affected, including federal workers, higher educational institutions, and those who had immigrated to this country, expressed measurable apprehension.
—Blake D. Morant, Forbes, 19 Feb. 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 10 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
apprehension
noun
Legal Definition
apprehension
noun
Share