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
From branches above her is released a sudden shower of ash keys, which flutter downwards, whirring in circles, until their wild flight is put to a stop by meeting the water’s surface, where they are apprehended and whisked away downstream.
—
Maggie O’Farrell, Literary Hub, 2 June 2026
On April 25, a gunman charged a security checkpoint to the annual event and exchanged fire with officers before he was apprehended.
—Chantelle Lee, Time, 2 June 2026
In one particularly embarrassing incident for the agency, a man not only jumped the fence but got to the front door of the White House and entered before being apprehended.
—Matt Viser, The Atlantic, 1 June 2026
Puckett was apprehended in Surry County, about 40 miles south from where the shooting took place in rural southern Virginia.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for apprehend
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Maggie O’Farrell, Literary Hub, 2 June 2026
On April 25, a gunman charged a security checkpoint to the annual event and exchanged fire with officers before he was apprehended.
—Chantelle Lee, Time, 2 June 2026
In one particularly embarrassing incident for the agency, a man not only jumped the fence but got to the front door of the White House and entered before being apprehended.
—Matt Viser, The Atlantic, 1 June 2026
Puckett was apprehended in Surry County, about 40 miles south from where the shooting took place in rural southern Virginia.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 1 June 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 4 Jun. 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
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