apprehension
noun
Did you know?
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
Dan Raby, CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026
It should be determined by the Greenlanders, voting freely, fully aware of the tradeoffs, and possessing the economic means to choose their future without apprehension.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
Prior to Kerik's own apprehension and conviction, Kerik introduced Larry to FBI agent Gary Uher.
—Jessica Sager, PEOPLE, 20 Jan. 2026
Last year, the country’s biomedical researchers watched with apprehension as the National Institutes of Health’s grant awards lagged billions of dollars behind the pace of previous years.
—John Wilkerson, STAT, 16 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 23 Jan. 2026.
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apprehension
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