apprehension
noun
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Latin Helps Build Apprehension
There’s quite a bit to comprehend about apprehension, so let’s take a closer look at its history. The Latin ancestor of apprehension (and of comprehend, prehensile, and even prison, among others) is the verb prehendere, meaning “to grasp” or “to seize.” When it was first used in the 14th century, apprehension could refer to the act of learning, a sense that is now obsolete, or the ability or power to understand things—learning and understanding both being ways to “grasp” knowledge or information. It wasn’t until the late 16th century that apprehension was used, as it still is today, for the physical seizure of something or someone (as an arrest). The most commonly used sense of apprehension today refers to a feeling that something bad is about to happen, when you seize up, perhaps, with anxiety or dread, having grasped all the unpleasant possibilities.
Examples of apprehension in a Sentence
City News Service, Daily News, 26 Feb. 2026
Travel agencies said that in the last year or so, there has been apprehension about traveling to Mexico.
—Chris Hoffman, CBS News, 24 Feb. 2026
Evans, 39, of Fort Lupton, believes the priority should be on the apprehension of those who are in the country illegally and have committed crimes.
—John Aguilar, Denver Post, 23 Feb. 2026
Ruemmler had apprehensions about Epstein employing crisis management experts suggested by Bannon.
—Shirsho Dasgupta, Miami Herald, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for apprehension
Cite this Entry
“Apprehension.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/apprehension. Accessed 4 Mar. 2026.
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apprehension
noun
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apprehension
noun
