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

The researchers found that, surprisingly, tapping – either on its own or along to a beat – delivered better speech comprehension, while just listening to a beat without a physical response was not as impactful. —New Atlas, 9 Apr. 2025

This boldness is informed by a profound comprehension of capabilities and a steadfast commitment to pushing boundaries. —Lori Huss, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025

Does your communication lead to comprehension, Capricorn? —Colin Bedell, Them, 13 Feb. 2025

It is borne of a need to believe in something beyond what can be explained, a longing for proof that some force beyond our comprehension exists. —Marsha Sutton, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Mar. 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

Rhymes for comprehension

• apprehension
• condescension
• hypertension
• hypotension
• reinvention
• reprehension
• resuspension
• attention
• contention
• convention
• declension
• detention

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