comprehension

com·pre·hen·sion

noun \ˌkäm-pri-ˈhen(t)-shən, -prē-\

Definition of COMPREHENSION

1

a : the act or action of grasping with the intellect : understanding b : knowledge gained by comprehending c : the capacity for understanding fully <mysteries that are beyond our comprehension>

2

a : the act or process of comprising b : the faculty or capability of including : comprehensiveness

3

: connotation 3

Examples of COMPREHENSION

1. The students showed excellent reading comprehension.
2. <the president's comprehension of the current situation in the Middle East>

Origin of COMPREHENSION

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

First Known Use: 15th century

Related to COMPREHENSION

Synonyms: appreciation, apprehension, grasp, grip, hold, perception, percipience, understanding

Antonyms: incomprehension, noncomprehension

Related Words: absorption, assimilation, digestion, uptake; conception, visualization; awareness, consciousness, enlightenment, realization

Near Antonyms: misapprehension, miscomprehension, misinterpretation, misperception, misunderstanding

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Rhymes with COMPREHENSION

fourth dimension, surface tension, third dimension