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
Police said that all of the juveniles were apprehended and booked for trespassing and vandalism before they were released to their guardians.
—
Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2026
The man was arrested after being apprehended while wandering through Minaj's backyard on Wednesday morning, an officer with the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department's Hidden Hills station confirmed.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Apr. 2026
Putting them under military authority allowed troops to play an unprecedented role in apprehending undocumented immigrants; federal soldiers are generally barred from enforcing the law on domestic soil.
—Agnel Philip, ProPublica, 2 Apr. 2026
Hitler escaped arrest but was apprehended 2 days later and found guilty after a 24-day trial.
—Lorenzino Estrada, AZCentral.com, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for apprehend
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2026
The man was arrested after being apprehended while wandering through Minaj's backyard on Wednesday morning, an officer with the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department's Hidden Hills station confirmed.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Apr. 2026
Putting them under military authority allowed troops to play an unprecedented role in apprehending undocumented immigrants; federal soldiers are generally barred from enforcing the law on domestic soil.
—Agnel Philip, ProPublica, 2 Apr. 2026
Hitler escaped arrest but was apprehended 2 days later and found guilty after a 24-day trial.
—Lorenzino Estrada, AZCentral.com, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for apprehend
Cite this Entry
“Apprehend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/apprehend. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
