comprehend
verb
com·pre·hend ˌkäm-pri-ˈhend 
-prē-
comprehended; comprehending; comprehends
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 …
Henry Osborn Taylor
Henry Osborn Taylor3
: to include by construction or implication
Does not prudence comprehend all the virtues? Thomas B. Silver
Thomas B. SilverOur civilization comprehends great variety and complexity … Perry Meisel
Perry Meisel comprehendible
ˌkäm-pri-ˈhen-də-bəl
adjective -prē-
Did you know?
To comprehend is to mentally grasp something's complete nature or meaning. Comprehend is thus often a bit stronger than understand: for example, you may understand the instructions in a handbook without completely comprehending their purpose. Comprehend's second meaning is much less common. Using that sense of the word, we could say that good manners comprehends (that is, includes) more than simple table etiquette, for example, or that true courage comprehends more than just physical showing off. And something comprehensive includes a great deal: so a comprehensive exam, for instance, includes all the material that was studied in the course.
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
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
the age at which children can comprehend the difference between right and wrong it took me a while to comprehend algebra
Recent Examples on the Web Du Bois grew obsessed with attempting to comprehend the moral failure behind the rise of white supremacy. Time, 15 Sep. 2022 Before the 19-year-old could comprehend what had happened, an auger had severed his right arm. Emily Corwin, ProPublica, 23 Aug. 2022 It is said to have focused on the need to share scientific data faster and to translate the science the agency generates into practical policies that are easy to comprehend. Helen Branswell, STAT, 22 Aug. 2022 Even before the pandemic, the Philippines had among the world’s largest education gaps, with more than 90 percent of students unable to read and comprehend simple texts by age 10, according to the World Bank. Jason Gutierrez, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2022 Adele later told Oprah Winfrey during her CBS special that Angelo was just starting to comprehend his mother's fame. Lynsey Eidell, Peoplemag, 18 Aug. 2022 At the same time, there’s no doubt Web3 has applications that Hollywood needs to comprehend, if only to understand how the next generation of consumers hopes to be entertained and engaged. Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 18 Aug. 2022 Furiously typing away on their laptops while glancing at their phones and giving an acknowledging nod to their professor, these students want to see, hear and comprehend the world around them simultaneously. Irma Becerra, Forbes, 16 Aug. 2022 Marriott loved the marketing campaign’s results, even if its leaders didn’t fully comprehend how Ma generated them. Grady Mcgregor, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2022 See More
Time, 15 Sep. 2022 Before the 19-year-old could comprehend what had happened, an auger had severed his right arm. Emily Corwin, ProPublica, 23 Aug. 2022 It is said to have focused on the need to share scientific data faster and to translate the science the agency generates into practical policies that are easy to comprehend. Helen Branswell, STAT, 22 Aug. 2022 Even before the pandemic, the Philippines had among the world’s largest education gaps, with more than 90 percent of students unable to read and comprehend simple texts by age 10, according to the World Bank. Jason Gutierrez, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2022 Adele later told Oprah Winfrey during her CBS special that Angelo was just starting to comprehend his mother's fame. Lynsey Eidell, Peoplemag, 18 Aug. 2022 At the same time, there’s no doubt Web3 has applications that Hollywood needs to comprehend, if only to understand how the next generation of consumers hopes to be entertained and engaged. Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 18 Aug. 2022 Furiously typing away on their laptops while glancing at their phones and giving an acknowledging nod to their professor, these students want to see, hear and comprehend the world around them simultaneously. Irma Becerra, Forbes, 16 Aug. 2022 Marriott loved the marketing campaign’s results, even if its leaders didn’t fully comprehend how Ma generated them. Grady Mcgregor, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Anglo-French comprendre, comprehendre, from Latin comprehendere, from com- + prehendere to grasp — more at get
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
comprehend
verb
com·pre·hend ˌkäm-pri-ˈhend
comprehended; comprehending
1
: to understand fully
2
: to take in : include
comprehends
verb
1
as in understands
to have a clear idea of the age at which children can comprehend the difference between right and wrong Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- understands
- knows
- recognizes
- deciphers
- grasps
- sees
- appreciates
- realizes
- perceives
- conceives
- discerns
- apprehends
- beholds
- assimilates
- gets
- senses
- intuits
- cognizes
- seizes
- decodes
- makes
- registers
- groks
- digs
- twigs
- catches
- absorbs
- makes out
- savvies
- digests
- compasses
- picks up on
- tumbles (to)
- penetrates
- cottons (to or on to)
- catches on (to)
- fathoms
- takes in
- pierces
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- misses
- misunderstands
- misinterprets
- misconstrues
- misreads
- misconceives
- mistakes
- misapprehends
- misperceives
2
as in knows
to have a practical understanding of it took me a while to comprehend algebra Synonyms & Similar Words
- understands
- knows
- grasps
- possesses
- apprehends
- perceives
- appreciates
- cognizes
- follows
- fathoms
- has
- kens
- savvies
- catches on (to)
- picks up
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- misunderstands
- misinterprets
- misconceives
- misapprehends
- misperceives
- misknows
3
as in encompasses
to have as part of a whole our notion of morality should comprehend much more than proper sexual behavior Synonyms & Similar Words
- encompasses
- includes
- contains
- involves
- entails
- carries
- subsumes
- embraces
- comprises
- possesses
- numbers
- receives
- incorporates
- takes in
- owns
- has
- admits
- embodies
- composes
- assimilates
- integrates
- constitutes
- holds
- brackets
- forms
- consists (of)
- makes
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- excludes
- omits
- prevents
- leaves (out)
- precludes
- prohibits
- denies
- refuses
- rejects
- eliminates
- bans
- misses out
- debars
- excepts
- bars
- loses
- misplaces
- mislays
- rules out
