apprehend
verb
ap·pre·hend ˌa-pri-ˈhend 
apprehended; apprehending; apprehends
2
a
: to become aware of : perceive
She immediately apprehended the problem.
b
: to anticipate especially with anxiety, dread, or fear
3
: to grasp with the understanding : recognize the meaning of
Did you know?
To apprehend is to seize, either physically or mentally. So to apprehend a thief is to nab him. But to apprehend a confusing news story, or to apprehend a difficult concept in physics, is to understand it—that is, to "grasp" it mentally. If you're apprehensive about something that's about to happen, it means you've grasped all the unpleasant possibilities and are waiting with anxiety or dread.
Examples of apprehend in a Sentence
Within hours, police had apprehended the thief. subtle differences that are difficult to apprehend
Recent Examples on the Web
The shooter has been apprehended. —
Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 28 Apr. 2026 In February, the former Prince Andrew was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office related to his links to Epstein, marking the first time in nearly four centuries that a senior British royal was criminally apprehended. —Ana Ceballos follow, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026 That came two days before the real WHCD on April 25 was thrown into chaos after an armed man charged through a security perimeter outside the ballroom before he was apprehended. —Todd Spangler, Variety, 28 Apr. 2026 The suspect, Cole Allen of Torrance, California, was apprehended by security officials and indicted Monday on charges of attempting to assassinate the president. —Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for apprehend
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 28 Apr. 2026 In February, the former Prince Andrew was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office related to his links to Epstein, marking the first time in nearly four centuries that a senior British royal was criminally apprehended. —Ana Ceballos follow, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026 That came two days before the real WHCD on April 25 was thrown into chaos after an armed man charged through a security perimeter outside the ballroom before he was apprehended. —Todd Spangler, Variety, 28 Apr. 2026 The suspect, Cole Allen of Torrance, California, was apprehended by security officials and indicted Monday on charges of attempting to assassinate the president. —Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for apprehend
Cite this Entry
“Apprehend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/dictionary/apprehend. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
apprehend
verb
ap·pre·hend ˌap-ri-ˈhend
1
: arrest entry 1 sense 2
apprehend a burglar
2
: to look forward to with fear and uncertainty
Legal Definition
apprehend
transitive verb
ap·pre·hend ˌa-prə-ˈhend
: arrest
Etymology
Latin apprehendere to seize, arrest, from ad to + prehendere to seize
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