apprehension

noun

ap·​pre·​hen·​sion ˌa-pri-ˈhen(t)-shən 

1

: suspicion or fear especially of future evil : foreboding

an atmosphere of nervous apprehension

2

: seizure by legal process : arrest

apprehension of a criminal

3

a

: the act or power of perceiving or comprehending something

a person of dull apprehension

b

: the result of apprehending something mentally : conception

according to popular apprehension

Did you know?

Latin Helps Build Apprehension

The Latin verb prehendere really grabs our attention. It means "to grasp" or "to seize," and it is an ancestor of various English words. It teamed up with the prefix ad- (which takes the form ap- before p and means "to," "toward," or "near") to form apprehendere, the Latin predecessor of our words apprehension, apprehend, and apprehensive. When prehendere joined the prefix com- ("with," "together," "jointly"), Latin got comprehendere, and English eventually got comprehend, comprehension, and comprehensive. Prehendere also gave us the words comprise, prehensile ("adapted for seizing or grasping"), prison, reprehend, and reprise, among others.

Synonyms

• alarm
• alarum
• apprehensiveness
• dread
• foreboding
• misgiving

Examples of apprehension in a Sentence

The thought of moving to a new city fills me with apprehension.

an increased number of apprehensions

Recent Examples on the Web

In May, Border Patrol recorded roughly 118,000 migrant apprehensions between ports of entry along the southern border, the third consecutive monthly drop, according to agency statistics obtained by CBS News. —Camilo Montoya-Galvez, CBS News, 3 June 2024

Even Trump’s draconian family separation policy, which was intended to curtail migration, failed in its goal: the year after it was introduced, apprehensions along the US‑Mexico border were 88 percent higher than the year before. —Ana Raquel Minian, TIME, 30 May 2024

Melanie also expressed apprehension at including Miranda as her maid of honor in her own upcoming wedding, and Miranda hasn't been documented in any of Melanie's social media posts of her bachelorette party or bridal shower. —Jessica Sager, Peoplemag, 29 May 2024

While the Tucson Sector — the busiest along the border until last month — still leads in the number of apprehensions so far this fiscal year, the April flip is not surprising to those who have witnessed the increasing number of migrant arrivals in San Diego since the fall. —Alexandra Mendoza, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Late Latin apprehension-, apprehensio, from Latin apprehendere — see apprehend

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3a

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Kids Definition

apprehension

noun

ap·​pre·​hen·​sion ˌap-ri-ˈhen-chən 

1

: arrest entry 2 sense 2

2

: an understanding of something

3

: fear of or uncertainty about what may be coming

Legal Definition

apprehension

noun

ap·​pre·​hen·​sion ˌa-pri-ˈhen-chən 

: arrest