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comprehend

verb
com·​pre·​hend | \ ˌkäm-pri-ˈhend How to pronounce comprehend (audio) , -prē-\
comprehended; comprehending; comprehends

Definition of comprehend

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
3 : to include by construction or implication Does not prudence comprehend all the virtues?— Thomas B. Silver Our civilization comprehends great variety and complexity …— Perry Meisel
Other Words from comprehend Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about comprehend

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Other Words from comprehend

comprehendible \ ˌkäm-​pri-​ˈhen-​də-​bəl How to pronounce comprehendible (audio) , -​prē-​ \ adjective

Choose the Right Synonym for comprehend

understand, comprehend, appreciate mean to have a clear or complete idea of. understand and comprehend are very often interchangeable. understand may, however, stress the fact of having attained a firm mental grasp of something. orders that were fully understood and promptly obeyed comprehend may stress the process of coming to grips with something intellectually. I have trouble comprehending your reasons for doing this appreciate implies a just evaluation or judgment of a thing's value or nature. failed to appreciate the risks involved

include, comprehend, embrace, involve mean to contain within as part of the whole. include suggests the containment of something as a constituent, component, or subordinate part of a larger whole. the price of dinner includes dessert comprehend implies that something comes within the scope of a statement or definition. his system comprehends all history embrace implies a gathering of separate items within a whole. her faith embraces both Christian and non-Christian beliefs involve suggests inclusion by virtue of the nature of the whole, whether by being its natural or inevitable consequence. the new job involves a lot of detail

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.

Examples of comprehend in a Sentence

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

 But this new liberty is compromised in ways that Iris will soon comprehend. — Ron Charles, Dallas News, "'The Doll Factory' is a page-turning Victorian thriller," 13 Aug. 2019 And, like life itself, over before it could be fully comprehended. — David Canfield, EW.com, "Richard Russo's Chances Are... crams vintage themes into a dreary beachside mystery," 25 July 2019 And comprehending the effects of Io’s heat source may shine a light into the depths of watery worlds like Enceladus. — Robin George Andrews, National Geographic, "This is our best look yet at the solar system's most volcanic object," 18 July 2019 Each response comes with its own well of feelings that can be hard to comprehend. — Stephen Daw, Billboard, "Feel the Pride: The Ally Coalition and Microsoft Team Up with St. Vincent for New NYC Exhibit," 19 June 2019 Randolph wasn’t able to comprehend how his fortune had just turned. — oregonlive.com, "Diabetic Oregon man, 72, who survived 5 days in desert after stranding Jeep, is feeling lucky and grateful," 3 Aug. 2019 Others pay lip service but don’t really comprehend them. — Osita Nwanevu, The New Yorker, "Conservative Nationalism Is Trumpism for Intellectuals," 21 July 2019 And what object is comprehended through anything other than the amount of light that accompanies our interaction with it? — Ray Mark Rinaldi, The Know, "Commentary: Denver Art Museum has turned into Denver’s living room," 7 July 2019 The long-term effects of lack of wealth on health and happiness can’t possibly be comprehended on a quick visit. — Ephrat Livni, Quartzy, "Slum tours beat the Taj Mahal as India’s most popular “experience”," 25 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'comprehend.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of comprehend

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for comprehend

Middle English, from Anglo-French comprendre, comprehendre, from Latin comprehendere, from com- + prehendere to grasp — more at get

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More Definitions for comprehend

comprehend

verb
How to pronounce comprehend (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of comprehend

somewhat formal : to understand (something, such as a difficult or complex subject)

See the full definition for comprehend in the English Language Learners Dictionary

comprehend

verb
com·​pre·​hend | \ ˌkäm-pri-ˈhend

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