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
Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 16 Oct. 2025
Clearly, the majority across all countries feels some significant amount of apprehension.
—PC Magazine, 15 Oct. 2025
When Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw noted apprehension by some that the Ellisons are in league with the president and MAGA on a certain media track, the Par CEO swatted the topic away decisively.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 9 Oct. 2025
But Collier said no one else was inside at the time of his apprehension.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for apprehension
Cite this Entry
“Apprehension.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/apprehension. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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apprehension
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