apprehend
verb
ap·pre·hend
ˌa-pri-ˈhend 
apprehended; apprehending; apprehends
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
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.
Examples of apprehend in a Sentence
Within hours, police had apprehended the thief.
subtle differences that are difficult to apprehend
Recent Examples on the Web
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have apprehended a teacher who allegedly overstayed his visa.
—
Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 July 2025
The forums proved useful in 2019, when the public learned the sheriff’s office had cooperated with ICE to allow its agents to enter private areas in county jails and apprehend immigrants in detention.
—Chase Hunter, Mercury News, 22 July 2025
On Tuesday, July 15, the U.S. Marshals Service announced that 19-year-old Talia Jones was apprehended in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on a charge of Facilitation of First-Degree Murder.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 17 July 2025
Humanitarian groups have expressed concern that more migrants aided by smugglers will attempt even riskier routes to evade being apprehended by the Border Patrol.
—Nicol Leon, AZCentral.com, 12 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for apprehend
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 July 2025
The forums proved useful in 2019, when the public learned the sheriff’s office had cooperated with ICE to allow its agents to enter private areas in county jails and apprehend immigrants in detention.
—Chase Hunter, Mercury News, 22 July 2025
On Tuesday, July 15, the U.S. Marshals Service announced that 19-year-old Talia Jones was apprehended in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on a charge of Facilitation of First-Degree Murder.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 17 July 2025
Humanitarian groups have expressed concern that more migrants aided by smugglers will attempt even riskier routes to evade being apprehended by the Border Patrol.
—Nicol Leon, AZCentral.com, 12 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for apprehend
Cite this Entry
“Apprehend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/apprehend. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
apprehend
verb
ap·pre·hend
ˌap-ri-ˈhend
1
: arrest entry 1 sense 2
apprehend a burglar
2
: to look forward to with fear and uncertainty
Legal Definition
apprehend
transitive verb
ap·pre·hend
ˌa-prə-ˈhend
: arrest
Etymology
Latin apprehendere to seize, arrest, from ad to + prehendere to seize
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share