apprehend
verb
ap·pre·hend
ˌa-pri-ˈhend 
apprehended; apprehending; apprehends
2
a
: to become aware of : perceive
She immediately apprehended the problem.
b
: to anticipate especially with anxiety, dread, or fear
3
: to grasp with the understanding : recognize the meaning of
Did you know?
To apprehend is to seize, either physically or mentally. So to apprehend a thief is to nab him. But to apprehend a confusing news story, or to apprehend a difficult concept in physics, is to understand it—that is, to "grasp" it mentally. If you're apprehensive about something that's about to happen, it means you've grasped all the unpleasant possibilities and are waiting with anxiety or dread.
Examples of apprehend in a Sentence
Within hours, police had apprehended the thief.
subtle differences that are difficult to apprehend
Recent Examples on the Web
Honduran national Elviss Caballero-Zuniga, who had been wanted on a murder charge, was apprehended by police with help from a robot drone in Kenner, a suburb of New Orleans, authorities said.
—
Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 29 Aug. 2025
Dunn tried to run away but was apprehended, police said.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2025
Recently, Mayor Brandon Johnson delivered the tie-breaking vote to deny the Chicago Police Department the power to call snap curfews in order to apprehend Black youths gathering in the Loop.
—Jackson Potter, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2025
Franklin Police said Mason was apprehended later during a traffic stop, and his bond was set at $150,000.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for apprehend
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Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 29 Aug. 2025
Dunn tried to run away but was apprehended, police said.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2025
Recently, Mayor Brandon Johnson delivered the tie-breaking vote to deny the Chicago Police Department the power to call snap curfews in order to apprehend Black youths gathering in the Loop.
—Jackson Potter, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2025
Franklin Police said Mason was apprehended later during a traffic stop, and his bond was set at $150,000.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for apprehend
Cite this Entry
“Apprehend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/apprehend. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
apprehend
verb
ap·pre·hend
ˌap-ri-ˈhend
1
: arrest entry 1 sense 2
apprehend a burglar
2
: to look forward to with fear and uncertainty
Legal Definition
apprehend
transitive verb
ap·pre·hend
ˌa-prə-ˈhend
: arrest
Etymology
Latin apprehendere to seize, arrest, from ad to + prehendere to seize
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