Adjacent Words

Apprehension definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

APPREHEN'SION, n.
1. The act of taking or arresting; as, the felon, after his apprehension escaped.
2. The mere contemplation of things without affirming, denying, or passing any judgment; the operation of the mind in contemplating ideas, without comparing them with others, or referring them to external objects; simple intellection.
3. An inadequate or imperfect idea, as when the word is applied to our knowledge of God.
4. Opinion; conception; sentiments. In this sense, the word often denotes a belief, founded on sufficient evidence to give preponderation to the mind, but insufficient to induce certainty.
To be false, and to be thought false, is all one, in respect of men, who act not according to truth, but apprehension.
In our apprehension, the facts prove the issue.
5. The faculty by which new ideas are conceived; as, a man of dull apprehension.
6. Fear; suspicion; the prospect of future evil, accompanied with uneasiness of mind.
Claudius was in no small apprehension for his own life.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: fearful expectation or anticipation; "the student looked around the examination room with apprehension" [syn: apprehension, apprehensiveness, dread]
2: the cognitive condition of someone who understands; "he has virtually no understanding of social cause and effect" [syn: understanding, apprehension, discernment, savvy]
3: painful expectation [syn: apprehension, misgiving]
4: the act of apprehending (especially apprehending a criminal); "the policeman on the beat got credit for the collar" [syn: apprehension, arrest, catch, collar, pinch, taking into custody]

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: Middle English, from Late Latin apprehension-, apprehensio, from Latin apprehendere Date: 14th century 1. a. the act or power of perceiving or comprehending <a person of dull apprehension> b. the result of apprehending mentally ; conception <according to popular apprehension> 2. seizure by legal process ; arrest <apprehension of a criminal> 3. suspicion or fear especially of future evil ; foreboding <an atmosphere of nervous apprehension>

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 uneasiness; dread. 2 understanding, grasp. 3 arrest, capture (apprehension of the suspect). 4 an idea; a conception. Etymology: F appréhension or LL apprehensio (as APPREHEND, -ION)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Apprehension Ap`pre*hen"sion, n. [L. apprehensio: cf. F. appr['e]hension. See Apprehend.] 1. The act of seizing or taking hold of; seizure; as, the hand is an organ of apprehension. --Sir T. Browne. 2. The act of seizing or taking by legal process; arrest; as, the felon, after his apprehension, escaped. 3. The act of grasping with the intellect; the contemplation of things, without affirming, denying, or passing any judgment; intellection; perception. Simple apprehension denotes no more than the soul's naked intellection of an object. --Glanvill. 4. Opinion; conception; sentiment; idea. Note: In this sense, the word often denotes a belief, founded on sufficient evidence to give preponderation to the mind, but insufficient to induce certainty; as, in our apprehension, the facts prove the issue. To false, and to be thought false, is all one in respect of men, who act not according to truth, but apprehension. --South. 5. The faculty by which ideas are conceived; understanding; as, a man of dull apprehension. 6. Anticipation, mostly of things unfavorable; distrust or fear at the prospect of future evil. After the death of his nephew Caligula, Claudius was in no small apprehension for his own life. --Addison. Syn: Apprehension, Alarm. Usage: Apprehension springs from a sense of danger when somewhat remote, but approaching; alarm arises from danger when announced as near at hand. Apprehension is calmer and more permanent; alarm is more agitating and transient.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(apprehensions) 1. Apprehension is a feeling of fear that something bad may happen. (FORMAL) It reflects real anger and apprehension about the future... I tensed every muscle in my body in apprehension. = worry N-VAR 2. The apprehension of someone who is thought to be a criminal is their capture or arrest by the police. (FORMAL) ...information leading to the apprehension of the alleged killer. N-UNCOUNT: oft N of n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Seizure, arrest, capture. 2. Understanding, intellect, intelligence, mind, reason. 3. Notice, simple taking in, mere reception, taking the point, getting the meaning, understanding. 4. Conception, the mind's eye. See imagination. 5. Knowledge, intellection, discernment, perception, sense. 6. Opinion, belief, fancy, supposition, judgment, sentiment, idea, notion, view. 7. Fear, distrust, suspicion, anxiety, solicitude, care, concern, misgiving, uneasiness, alarm.

Moby Thesaurus

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