apprehend
verb
ap·pre·hend ˌa-pri-ˈhend 
apprehended; apprehending; apprehends
transitive verb
1
: arrest, seize
apprehend a thief
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
intransitive verb
: understand, grasp
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.
Synonyms
- appreciate
- assimilate
- behold
- catch
- catch on (to)
- cognize
- compass
- comprehend
- 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
Within hours, police had apprehended the thief. subtle differences that are difficult to apprehend
Recent Examples on the Web The violent attacks have shaken Canadian residents and officials as law enforcement is rushing to apprehend the suspects. 
Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN, 5 Sep. 2022 The Kitsap County Sheriff's Office worked with law enforcement in three states to apprehend the three suspects responsible for killing Shanan Lynn Read. Chris Harris, Peoplemag, 12 Aug. 2022 The fiction was that each state was free to choose within its borders, but the reality was that slave states demanded that free states cooperate in their efforts to apprehend escaped slaves. Lindsay Beyerstein, The New Republic, 2 Aug. 2022 Ramirez said Echeverry and other officers chased the suspect, identified as Jeremy Horton, after the suspect allegedly rammed police trying to apprehend him on suspicion of the Broward robbery. Rafael Olmeda, Sun Sentinel, 16 Aug. 2022 Police were unable to apprehend the driver but his car was seized by the North Royalton Police Department. Brian Lisik, cleveland, 18 July 2022 Rather than fixate on strict, formulaic racial categories, many contemporary scientists are trying instead to apprehend human movement and human ecosystems. Wired, 14 July 2022 The cops were driving with lights and siren activated to help another officer apprehend five individuals allegedly involved in a carjacking who reportedly fled on foot after a short pursuit. Jay R. Jordan, Chron, 12 July 2022 Officials ran to apprehend the shooter, who appeared to be positioned behind Abe. Julia Mio Inuma, Washington Post, 8 July 2022 See More
Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN, 5 Sep. 2022 The Kitsap County Sheriff's Office worked with law enforcement in three states to apprehend the three suspects responsible for killing Shanan Lynn Read. Chris Harris, Peoplemag, 12 Aug. 2022 The fiction was that each state was free to choose within its borders, but the reality was that slave states demanded that free states cooperate in their efforts to apprehend escaped slaves. Lindsay Beyerstein, The New Republic, 2 Aug. 2022 Ramirez said Echeverry and other officers chased the suspect, identified as Jeremy Horton, after the suspect allegedly rammed police trying to apprehend him on suspicion of the Broward robbery. Rafael Olmeda, Sun Sentinel, 16 Aug. 2022 Police were unable to apprehend the driver but his car was seized by the North Royalton Police Department. Brian Lisik, cleveland, 18 July 2022 Rather than fixate on strict, formulaic racial categories, many contemporary scientists are trying instead to apprehend human movement and human ecosystems. Wired, 14 July 2022 The cops were driving with lights and siren activated to help another officer apprehend five individuals allegedly involved in a carjacking who reportedly fled on foot after a short pursuit. Jay R. Jordan, Chron, 12 July 2022 Officials ran to apprehend the shooter, who appeared to be positioned behind Abe. Julia Mio Inuma, Washington Post, 8 July 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Latin apprehendere, literally, to seize, from ad- + prehendere to seize — more at get
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Kids Definition
apprehend
verb
ap·pre·hend ˌa-pri-ˈhend
apprehended; apprehending
1
: arrest entry 1 sense 1
Police apprehended the burglar.
2
: to look forward to with fear and uncertainty
… there was no need of all this caution from the enemies that I apprehended danger from. Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe
Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe3
: understand sense 1
apprehend the meaning
Legal Definition
apprehend
transitive verb
ap·pre·hend ˌa-prə-ˈhend
: arrest
apprehended 1 of 2
adjective
as in arrested
taken and held prisoner an apprehended crime lord who can easily post the million-dollar bail Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- arrested
- imprisoned
- jailed
- captive
- captured
- interned
- incarcerated
- confined
- caught
- kidnapped
- kidnaped
- behind bars
- enslaved
- bound
- abducted
- trapped
- ensnared
- occupied
- subdued
- indentured
- subjugated
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- free
- released
- unconfined
- unrestrained
- freed
- liberated
- emancipated
- delivered
- paroled
- enfranchised
apprehended
2 of 2verb
1
as in understood
to have a clear idea of do you apprehend the importance of this discovery? Synonyms & Similar Words
- understood
- knew
- comprehended
- recognized
- deciphered
- grasped
- saw
- discerned
- appreciated
- realized
- sensed
- perceived
- seized
- conceived
- intuited
- assimilated
- got
- beheld
- caught
- cognized
- registered
- decoded
- made
- dug
- grokked
- compassed
- savvied
- made out
- twigged
- picked up on
- absorbed
- fathomed
- digested
- caught on (to)
- cottoned (to or on to)
- penetrated
- tumbled (to)
- pierced
- took in
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- missed
- misunderstood
- misinterpreted
- misapprehended
- misconstrued
- misread
- misconceived
- mistook
- misperceived
2
as in seized
to take or keep under one's control by authority of law the agency charged with apprehending criminals who have violated federal law Synonyms & Similar Words
- arrested
- seized
- detained
- grabbed
- restrained
- captured
- nabbed
- committed
- caught
- jailed
- snatched
- nailed
- pinched
- nicked
- imprisoned
- collared
- incarcerated
- busted
- trapped
- bust
- confined
- snared
- grappled
- handcuffed
- ran in
- interned
- bound
- landed
- rearrested
- hooked
- snapped (up)
- picked up
- bagged
- locked (up)
- pulled in
- shackled
- remanded
- immured
- manacled
- held
- fettered
- got
- jugged
- trammelled
- enchained
- trammeled
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- discharged
- freed
- released
- liberated
- emancipated
- sprung
- sprang
- loosed
- loosened
- unchained
- unbound