comprehend

com·pre·hend

verb \ˌkäm-pri-ˈhend, -prē-\

Definition of COMPREHEND

transitive verb

1

: to grasp the nature, significance, or meaning of <unable to comprehend what has happened>

2

: to contain or hold within a total scope, significance, or amount <philosophy's scope comprehends the truth of everything which man may understand — H. O. Taylor>

3

: to include by construction or implication <does not prudence comprehend all the virtues? — Thomas B. Silver>

— com·pre·hend·ible \-ˈhen-də-bəl\ adjective

Examples of COMPREHEND

1. <the age at which children can comprehend the difference between right and wrong>
2. <it took me a while to comprehend algebra>

Origin of COMPREHEND

Middle English, from Anglo-French comprendre, comprehendre, from Latin comprehendere, from com- + prehendere to grasp — more at get

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to COMPREHEND

Synonyms: appreciate, apprehend, assimilate, behold, catch, catch on (to), cognize, compass, conceive, cotton (to or on to), decipher, decode, dig, discern, get, grasp, grok, intuit, know, make, make out, perceive, recognize, register, savvy, see, seize, sense, tumble (to), twig, understand, pick up on

Antonyms: miss

Related Words: absorb, digest, take in; realize; fathom, penetrate, pierce

Near Antonyms: misapprehend, misconceive, misconstrue, misinterpret, misperceive, misread, mistake, misunderstand

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See Synonym Discussion at understand, include

Rhymes with COMPREHEND

apprehend, bitter end, business end, condescend, discommend, dividend, in the end, minuend, on the mend, open-end, overspend, recommend, repetend, reprehend, subtrahend, vilipend