apprehensions
|ap-pre-hen-sions|
🇺🇸
/ˌæprɪˈhɛnʃənz/
🇬🇧
/ˌæprɪˈhenʃənz/
(apprehension)
anxiety or understanding
Etymology
'apprehension' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'apprehendere,' where 'ad-' meant 'to' and 'prehendere' meant 'to seize.'
'apprehension' changed from Old French 'aprehension' and Middle English 'apprehencioun' and eventually became the modern English word 'apprehension.'
Initially, it meant 'seizure' or 'arrest,' but over time it evolved into senses of 'understanding' and later also 'fear or anxiety.'
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
fears or anxieties about something that may happen; unease or misgivings.
Her apprehensions about the move proved unfounded.
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Noun 2
arrests or captures (the act of apprehending someone, especially by the police).
The police reported several apprehensions in the city last night.
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Noun 3
perceptions or understandings; the faculty of grasping or comprehending an idea (less common; more formal/archaic).
His apprehensions of the theory deepened after further study.
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Last updated: 2025/09/27 00:40