Meaning & use
comprehend
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Meanings
verbtransitiveformal
To understand something fully, especially something difficult or complex.
Grammar: Takes an object: comprehend the meaning. Often used in negative sentences: I can't comprehend why.
Patterns
- comprehend something
- comprehend why/how/what ...
- can't/cannot comprehend something
The students struggled to comprehend the philosopher's argument.
I can't comprehend why she would leave such a good job.
It took me a while to comprehend the full meaning of his words.
verbtransitiveformal
To include or cover something as part of a larger whole.
Grammar: Takes an object; often used in formal writing about ranges, areas, or categories.
Patterns
- comprehend something
- be comprehended within something
The survey comprehends all aspects of student life.
These topics are comprehended within the first chapter of the book.
Word forms
| third person singular | comprehends |
|---|---|
| past tense | comprehended |
| past participle | comprehended |
| -ing form | comprehending |
Common combinations
- fully comprehend
- Only later did she fully comprehend the risks she had taken.
- hard/difficult to comprehend
- The scale of the disaster was hard to comprehend.
- comprehend the meaning
- Young children cannot yet comprehend the meaning of abstract words.
- comprehend a concept
- It takes time to comprehend a concept like infinity.
Synonyms and how they differ
- understand
- The everyday word; use it in most situations, while comprehend sounds more formal and suggests a deeper or more complete grasp.
- grasp
- Suggests finally understanding something after effort; comprehend is more neutral and formal.
- fathom
- Often used for something mysterious or shocking, especially in negatives: I can't fathom his motives.
Opposites
Word family
- comprehension noun
- The ability to understand something, or a test of reading understanding.
- comprehensible adjective
- Able to be understood; clear enough to follow.
- comprehensive adjective
- Including everything needed; complete in coverage.
Commonly confused: comprehend or apprehend? comprehend or comprehensive?
comprehend vs apprehend
Apprehend means to catch and arrest someone, or to understand in a formal, old-fashioned way; comprehend is only about understanding.
comprehend vs comprehensive
Comprehensive means complete or covering everything; comprehend is the verb meaning to understand.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence:
Choose one answer.
Comprehend is transitive and takes a direct object with no preposition: comprehend something. The other options add prepositions that do not belong with this verb.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “comprehend”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.