apprehend

verb

ap·​pre·​hend ˌa-pri-ˈhend 

apprehended; apprehending; apprehends

transitive verb

1

: arrest, seize

apprehend a thief

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

intransitive verb

: understand, grasp

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.

Synonyms of apprehend

• understand
• know
• comprehend
• recognize
• decipher
• grasp
• see
• appreciate
• discern

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

Walking south on Custer Avenue near Madison Street, police apprehended Miller and discovered the item believed to be a gun was instead a lighter that resembled a handgun, police said. — Claire Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 6 Nov. 2026

Before Morley was apprehended, he was charged in federal court in Tennessee with one count of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution, court documents show. — ABC News, 4 Nov. 2026

Employees have become burned out and morally conflicted as their focus has shifted from pursuing drug smugglers and human traffickers to apprehending asylum seekers in courthouses and arresting day laborers at their worksites. — Francisco Cantú, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026

If the shooter in question was apprehended, what should happen to them? — Mark Guiducci, Vanity Fair, 30 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin apprehendere, literally, to seize, from ad- + prehendere to seize — more at get

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for apprehend

• comprehend
• condescend
• dividend
• recommend
• resuspend
• amend
• append
• ascend
• attend
• backend
• befriend
• boyfriend

Kids 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

3

: understand sense 1a

Legal Definition

apprehend

transitive verb

ap·​pre·​hend ˌa-prə-ˈhend 

: arrest

Etymology

Latin apprehendere to seize, arrest, from ad to + prehendere to seize