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
Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2026
Worrying about finding a bathroom, coping with abdominal pain, and apprehension about symptoms starting or coming back all cause stress.
—Amber J. Tresca, Verywell Health, 6 Jan. 2026
At the height of the border crisis, apprehensions totaled more than 25,000 in New Mexico in March 2023.
—Center Square, The Washington Examiner, 5 Jan. 2026
Amid widespread apprehension about what comes next, the streets of the capital Caracas and other cities have been quiet.
—Tim Lister, CNN Money, 4 Jan. 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 11 Jan. 2026.
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apprehension
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