apprehension

noun

ap·​pre·​hen·​sion ˌa-pri-ˈhen(t)-shən 

1

: suspicion or fear especially of future evil : foreboding

an atmosphere of nervous apprehension

2

: seizure by legal process : arrest

apprehension of a criminal

3

a

: the act or power of perceiving or comprehending something

a person of dull apprehension

b

: the result of apprehending something mentally : conception

according to popular apprehension

Did you know?

Latin Helps Build Apprehension

The Latin verb prehendere really grabs our attention. It means "to grasp" or "to seize," and it is an ancestor of various English words. It teamed up with the prefix ad- (which takes the form ap- before p and means "to," "toward," or "near") to form apprehendere, the Latin predecessor of our words apprehension, apprehend, and apprehensive. When prehendere joined the prefix com- ("with," "together," "jointly"), Latin got comprehendere, and English eventually got comprehend, comprehension, and comprehensive. Prehendere also gave us the words comprise, prehensile ("adapted for seizing or grasping"), prison, reprehend, and reprise, among others.

Synonyms

• alarm
• alarum
• apprehensiveness
• dread
• foreboding
• misgiving

Examples of apprehension in a Sentence

The thought of moving to a new city fills me with apprehension.

an increased number of apprehensions

Recent Examples on the Web

The widespread apprehension prompted officials there to urge people to refrain from stocking up on food, generators and medicine, as the country braces for the response. —CNN, 13 Apr. 2024

For the third consecutive year, his agency is on track to record two million apprehensions by the time the fiscal year ends at the end of September, Owens added. —Camilo Montoya-Galvez, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2024

Unfortunately, the Hart of Dixie star’s experiences with being robbed didn’t stop with the apprehension of the Bling Ring in 2009. —Julia Moore, Peoplemag, 27 Feb. 2024

Some places saw triple-digit numbers, including Eagle Pass Station in the Del Rio Sector, which reported 511 apprehensions; Ajo Station in the Tucson Sector, which reported 481 apprehensions; and Santa Teresa Station in the El Paso Sector, which reported 473 apprehensions. —Greg Wehner, Fox News, 27 Feb. 2024

For example, during Trump’s time as president, the U.S. economy lost nearly 3 million jobs, and apprehensions of undocumented migrants at the border rose. —Alexander Hinton, The Conversation, 26 Feb. 2024

At the same time, the society’s youth branch has been growing in the face of apprehensions about historically neutral Sweden – long a leader in the nonproliferation movement – joining a nuclear alliance. —Anna Mulrine Grobe, The Christian Science Monitor, 2 Apr. 2024

Given regulators’ scrutiny, lawsuit filings, airline executives’ open dissatisfaction, public apprehension, and calls for culture change, how might a female CEO impact the future of Boeing? —Corinne Post, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024

That’s about 64% more than the number of migrant apprehensions in the Del Rio Border Patrol Sector, which includes Eagle Pass, Texas – the epicenter of the ongoing battle over border security between Texas and the Biden administration. —Rosa Flores, CNN, 29 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Late Latin apprehension-, apprehensio, from Latin apprehendere — see apprehend

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3a

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Kids Definition

apprehension

noun

ap·​pre·​hen·​sion ˌap-ri-ˈhen-chən 

1

: arrest entry 2 sense 2

2

: an understanding of something

3

: fear of or uncertainty about what may be coming

Legal Definition

apprehension

noun

ap·​pre·​hen·​sion ˌa-pri-ˈhen-chən 

: arrest