comprehension

noun

com·​pre·​hen·​sion ˌkäm-pri-ˈhen(t)-shən 

-prē-

1

a

: the act or action of grasping with the intellect : understanding

children who have difficulty with comprehension of spoken language

What the artist actually needs is comprehension of his aims and ideals by men he respects …

—H. L. Mencken

b

: knowledge gained by comprehending

tests that measure the students' comprehension in math

She carried on with full comprehension of the risk involved.

c

: the capacity for understanding fully

mysteries that are beyond our comprehension

The war caused suffering beyond comprehension.

2

a

: the act or process of comprising

the comprehension of all the denominations into one Church

b

: the faculty or capability of including : comprehensiveness

the broad comprehension of the word "animal"

3

: connotation sense 3

Synonyms

• appreciation
• apprehension
• grasp
• grip
• hold
• perception
• percipience
• understanding

Examples of comprehension in a Sentence

The students showed excellent reading comprehension.

the president's comprehension of the current situation in the Middle East

Recent Examples on the Web

Gemini thrives on curiosity, dialogue, and quick exchanges, but Uranus — planet of disruption and innovation — reminds us that communication doesn’t always equal comprehension. —Colin Bedell, Them, 14 Jan. 2025

But this year, a factor beyond any club’s comprehension has entered the chat. —Tony Blengino, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025

The general talks of how forces beyond our comprehension are slowly poisoning America with a toxic chemical known as… fluoride. —Stephen Rodrick, Rolling Stone, 8 Jan. 2025

The means of overcoming despair is to be found in better comprehension. —Ivan Krastev, The Atlantic, 3 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle French & Latin; Middle French, from Latin comprehension-, comprehensio, from comprehendere to understand, comprise

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing comprehension

• beyond comprehension
• beyond comprehension/understanding
• beyond one's comprehension

Kids Definition

comprehension

noun

com·​pre·​hen·​sion ˌkäm-pri-ˈhen-chən 

1

: the act of comprehending

2

: knowledge gained by comprehending

3

: the capacity for understanding