'reprehensible' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'reprehensibilis,' where 'reprehendere' meant 'to hold back or seize.'

'reprehensibilis' transformed into the Old French word 'reprehensible,' and eventually became the modern English word 'reprehensible.'

Initially, it meant 'deserving of reproof or blame,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.