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
The Sun newspaper reports that, back in 2006, Pike – who starred as Amy Dunne in Gone Girl alongside Ben Affleck and also appeared in Bond film Die Another Day – was speaking to her mother on the phone when she was violently apprehended by a thief on a bicycle.
—
Caroline Frost, Deadline, 25 May 2025
Like many of those apprehended this week, Fonseca Solorzano arrived in the United States from Honduras via CPB One, an application set up during the Biden administration that provided asylum seekers a way to enter the country legally after going through a background check.
—Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2025
Three perpetrators were apprehended and sentenced to up to 35 years in prison.
NOVEMBER 1979
An assassination attempt was carried out on Israeli Ambassador Ephraim Eldar in Lisbon, Portugal on November 13, 1979.
—Caitlin McFall, FOXNews.com, 22 May 2025
After the shooting, the suspect proceeded to walk into the museum and was then apprehended.
—Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for apprehend
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Caroline Frost, Deadline, 25 May 2025
Like many of those apprehended this week, Fonseca Solorzano arrived in the United States from Honduras via CPB One, an application set up during the Biden administration that provided asylum seekers a way to enter the country legally after going through a background check.
—Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2025
Three perpetrators were apprehended and sentenced to up to 35 years in prison.
NOVEMBER 1979
An assassination attempt was carried out on Israeli Ambassador Ephraim Eldar in Lisbon, Portugal on November 13, 1979.
—Caitlin McFall, FOXNews.com, 22 May 2025
After the shooting, the suspect proceeded to walk into the museum and was then apprehended.
—Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 22 May 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 3 Jun. 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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