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.
Synonyms
Examples of apprehension in a Sentence
Timothy Papandreou, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025
The country’s interior minister, Diosdado Cabello, later accused her of staging her own apprehension.
—Julie Turkewitz, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025
McKenna — and this feels important for any coach who wants to play this way — took time to explain his philosophy to the Ipswich fans to try to manage the apprehension that often builds in stadiums during these phases of play.
—Stuart James, The Athletic, 19 Dec. 2024
Despite opposition from liberal Democrats and some apprehension from Republicans, the NDAA passed out of the House in a bipartisan 281-140 vote, with 81 Democrats voting in favor of it.
—Ellen Mitchell, The Hill, 16 Dec. 2024
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Dictionary Entries Near apprehension
Cite this Entry
“Apprehension.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/apprehension. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
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apprehension
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apprehension
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