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
Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 May 2025
Hill’s apprehension dissolved when Wooden not only picked up as Hill spoke his name on the answering machine but also asked him to visit, leading to an instant reconnection.
—Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2025
At least one of the spheres spent the night in jail after its apprehension by local police.
—Kiona N. Smith, Forbes.com, 7 May 2025
Both were assigned to the fugitive apprehension squad.
—Mirna Alsharif, NBC news, 5 May 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 25 May. 2025.
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apprehension
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apprehension
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