comprehendcom‧pre‧hend /ˌkɒmprɪˈhend $ ˌkɑːm-/ ●○○ verb [intransitive, transitive] 
She cannot comprehend the extent of the disaster. I did not fully comprehend what had happened.comprehend what/how/why etc It may be hard to comprehend how much this gift means for my country.comprehend that Finally, she comprehended that he wanted his pay.► see thesaurus at understandRegisterIn everyday English, people usually say understand rather than comprehend:· I could understand most of what she was saying.GRAMMAR: Patterns with comprehend• Comprehend is often used in the negative, especially with can’t/cannot: · I cannot comprehend why anyone would do that.• Comprehend is not used in the progressive. ✗Don’t say: I am not comprehending why anyone would do that.Grammar guide ‒ VERBS
WORD ORIGINcomprehend
Origin:
1300-1400 Latin comprehendere ‘to take hold of completely’, from com- ( ➔ COM-) + prehendere ( ➔ PREHENSILE)VERB TABLE
comprehend
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | comprehend |
| he, she, it | comprehends | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | comprehended |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have comprehended |
| he, she, it | has comprehended | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had comprehended |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will comprehend |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have comprehended |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Even scientists do not comprehend these phenomena.
- God cannot truly be seen or comprehended by the human mind.
- Take the time to read, comprehend, and evaluate the report.
- The significance of the disappearance of the buffalo and the passenger pigeon was not fully comprehended until much later.
- A child can not comprehend the subtle difference between illegal segregation in the South and racial imbalance in the North.
- A disposition to incremental change can deflect one from considering or even comprehending wider and more fundamental problems.
- In industry I found the status system much more difficult to comprehend.
- People did not comprehend what was happening, and there was genuine confusion over how to respond.
- The chink in this otherwise disarming argument is that Nature exists only to the extent that we comprehend it.
- The dream is easy to describe, difficult to comprehend.
- The pain of this incomplete ending of a relationship is impossible to comprehend.
THESAURUS
to know the meaning of something, or the reasons for something: · I understand what you’re saying.· Doctors are beginning to understand what causes the disease.
especially spoken to understand something, especially the truth about a situation or the reasons for something: · I can see why you don’t like him.· Do you see what I mean?· Oh, I see!
informal to understand a joke, what someone says, the reasons why something is true etc: · She didn’t seem to get the joke.· Do you get me?· He explained the math homework twice, but I still don’t get it.· I still don’t get why she left.
formal to understand something, or understand why something is important: · The dream was easy to describe, but difficult to comprehend.· They had failed to comprehend the significance of the problem.
spoken to understand what someone is telling you, or what a situation is like, especially because you have some experience or knowledge about this: · ‘It can be really hard to give up smoking.’ ‘I know exactly what you mean.’· We now know what the scientists meant when they warned about global warming.
to understand something such as an explanation or story as you hear it, read it etc: · The plot is hard to follow.· His instructions were easy to follow.
Longman Language Activatorto understand a situation, idea, or what someone is telling you · She spoke slowly and clearly so that everyone could understand.· I didn't understand the teacher's instructions.· When he's old enough to understand, we'll tell him he's adopted.understand what/why/how etc · Ben asked a few questions to make sure he understood what to do.· You don't need to understand how a computer works to use it.understand that · The witness said he understood that he was swearing to give true and correct information.easy/difficult to understand · Computer manuals should be written in a way that is easy to understand.understand perfectly (=understand completely) · Don't worry. I understand perfectly.fully understand (=understand completely) · Doctors still do not fully understand the process by which the disease is transmitted.
to understand what someone is telling you, especially if they have not expressed it very clearly: · I don't think your audience is going to know what you mean by this.you know what I mean? (=say this to check that someone understands you): · He seems really sad, you know what I mean?I know what you mean (=say this to show that you understand): · "It's a thing you hold pieces of wood in when you're doing woodwork." "Oh, I know what you mean -- a vice."
especially spoken to understand the truth about a situation, or understand the reasons for something: see what somebody means: · Try it for yourself, and you'll see what I mean.see why/how/what etc: · I can see why people don't like him.I see (=say this when you understand what someone has told you): · "It goes in the red box, here." "Oh, I see."you see (=say this when you are explaining something): · Well, you see, he's not really ready to read a book this difficult.see (that): · Well, I can see that the logic is somehow wrong, but I don't know why exactly.see any reason: · Can you see any reason why it shouldn't work?see the point (=understand why something is important): · At fourteen, he couldn't see the point of staying in school.see somebody's point (=understand the main idea or importance of what someone is saying): · I didn't like his attitude, but I could see his point.see the joke British (=understand why something is funny): · He's just one of those people who never seem to see the joke.
spoken to understand what someone says, what is happening, or why or how something happens: get it: · "Do you understand?" "Yeah, we've got it," one of the drivers replied.· Barbara Howell and her husband, Kenneth (Barbie and Ken, get it?) run a bed-and-breakfast inn.I don't get it: · Why did you turn down such a fantastic job? I don't get it.get a/the joke (=understand why something is funny): · John told me one of his stupid jokes, and it took me about five minutes to get it.get the point (=understand the main idea or importance of something): · I don't think you get the point. Legally, you must give us this information.get the idea: · The students should get the idea that this is a complex issue, with no easy answers.get what/why/how etc: · I just couldn't get what he meant.
formal to understand something that is complicated or difficult to understand: · Take the time to read, comprehend, and evaluate the report.· God cannot truly be seen or comprehended by the human mind.fully comprehend (=understand something completely): · The significance of the disappearance of the buffalo and the passenger pigeon was not fully comprehended until much later.
to fully understand a fact or an idea, especially one that it is important or difficult to understand: · Obviously, she had barely grasped the subject.· Science lessons should be taught in a way that makes the material easier to grasp.hard to grasp: · Fame has come suddenly, and Peyton is finding it hard to grasp.grasp that: · The army had failed to grasp that their mission was to protect the navy's ships, not vice versa.
to understand something that is not clear or easy to understand, especially by spending time thinking about it: · Police are trying to make sense of a bizarre note left by the murderer.· There is so much information that it is difficult to make sense of it all.
informal to understand what someone is telling you or what they want you to do, especially after they have told you several times: · Even the Democrats got the message: voters are concerned about taxes.get the message that: · He doesn't seem to get the message that he's not welcome here.
spoken to understand a situation or arrangement, especially one that someone is explaining to you: · I get the picture. You want me to say you were at my house last night.· We don't want any trouble tonight. Do you get the picture?
British informal to understand something that is difficult or complicated: · I just couldn't get my head round geometry at school.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY I did not fully comprehend what had happened.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB
to understand something that is complicated or difficult SYN understand, grasp: I did not fully comprehend what had happened.· To fully comprehend space we need stereoscopic touch, hearing and vision.· I wonder if there -, %, as some moment when she fully comprehended and appreciated him?· Rivalry between them is unnecessary and tends to disappear once each fully comprehends the other's role.· Fully comprehending the imminent danger, Warren sent to General Meade for a division.· If not, does it fully comprehend the awful consequences?· And he comprehended fully how great is the benevolence of the boundlessly compassionate Kuan Yin.· They learn not to take things on trust, but to make sure they fully comprehend in order to make their own assessments.· A proper engineering drawing can not be thus fudged; like Wolf, the draughtsman must fully comprehend what he is drawing.
· We don't really comprehend how rigorous the training in the guild system was.· But if I know not even the tail of this whale, how comprehend his face, when face he has none?· It may be hard to comprehend how much the gift of books means for my country.· Do you comprehend how happy I am, am determined to be?
· I find that people can not comprehend why it will not go in the forthcoming legislation.
NOUN· But we do not yet fully understand how people comprehend such sentences.· I find that people can not comprehend why it will not go in the forthcoming legislation.
VERB· She was so poorly versed in the emotions that she failed to comprehend its true nature.
· One way we tried to comprehend the Holocaust was by developing certain misapprehensions about it.· I try to comprehend my son for an instant as a compilation of parts.· Swarm logic tries to comprehend the out-of-kilter, to measure the erratic, and to time the unpredictable.
She cannot comprehend the extent of the disaster. I did not fully comprehend what had happened.comprehend what/how/why etc It may be hard to comprehend how much this gift means for my country.comprehend that Finally, she comprehended that he wanted his pay.► see thesaurus at understandRegisterIn everyday English, people usually say understand rather than comprehend:· I could understand most of what she was saying.GRAMMAR: Patterns with comprehend• Comprehend is often used in the negative, especially with can’t/cannot: · I cannot comprehend why anyone would do that.• Comprehend is not used in the progressive. ✗Don’t say: I am not comprehending why anyone would do that.Grammar guide ‒ VERBS