comprehend
Americanverb (used with object)
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comprehends,
present (3rd person singular)
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comprehended,
past participle, past
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comprehending
present participle
verb
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to perceive or understand
-
(tr) to comprise or embrace; include
Usage
What are other ways to say comprehend? To comprehend something is to grasp it with the mind. How is comprehend different from know and understand? Learn more on Thesaurus.com.
Synonym Usage
See include.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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comprehendernoun
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precomprehendverb (used with object)
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noncomprehendingadjective
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self-comprehendingadjective
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uncomprehendedadjective
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uncomprehendingadjective
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well-comprehendedadjective
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comprehendinglyadverb
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noncomprehendinglyadverb
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uncomprehendinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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comprehendsimple
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comprehendssimple
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have comprehendedperfect
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has comprehendedperfect
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am comprehendingprogressive
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are comprehendingprogressive
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is comprehendingprogressive
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have been comprehendingperfect progressive
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has been comprehendingperfect progressive
Past
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comprehendedsimple
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had comprehendedperfect
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was comprehendingprogressive
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were comprehendingprogressive
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had been comprehendingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of comprehend
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English comprehenden, from Latin comprehendere, from com- com- + prehendere “to seize” ( see prehension)
Explanation
To comprehend something is to understand it, like when you have to read a difficult passage more than once in order to comprehend it. When you comprehend something, you grasp its meaning. Comprehend is a verb that originates from the Latin word comprehendere, which means “catch or seize.” When an idea is clear to you and you understand it completely, you comprehend it, like doing extra problems to make sure you comprehend a difficult algebra rule, or finding it hard to comprehend why someone would paint his house neon yellow.
Vocabulary lists containing comprehend
Vocabulary of the Common Core
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List 4
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Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
In a victim impact statement, Nurse's sister Samantha Carvalho described Sabat as a "menace to society", and said the "heartlessness" of the killing was "impossible to comprehend".
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
“There is no privileged access to understanding its direction. You need to look through as many windows as possible. We humans are limited and exhausted and can’t comprehend the world in its fullness.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
“It is difficult to comprehend how much this young coyote endured over the course of the past year,” Wildlife Care of SoCal wrote in an update Tuesday.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
At first, she struggled to comprehend the danger.
From Barron's ● Sep. 6, 2026
Something had happened which I could not comprehend; no one knew of or had seen the event but myself: it had taken place the preceding night.
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
College Football Brain is why we still have Zombie Bowl games layered on top of this 12-team playoff, as if anyone actually cares or comprehends why the quarterfinal needs to masquerade as the Cotton Bowl.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 1, 2025
Lewis came up with an approach and strategy that showed that she, at least, is an American who now comprehends the true dynamics that yield success in these matches.
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2024
They communicate verbally and also, often in games, only with a nod or a look that the other instantly comprehends.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2024
“I don’t think she comprehends the breadth and depth of the suffering she has caused,” a tearful Ruetten said.
From Seattle Times ● May 21, 2024
He comprehends it, being a man full grown, able to oversee the kind of house Zeus would endow with honor.
From "The Odyssey" by Homer
What I hadn’t fully comprehended is how much an ongoing financial advisory relationship would cost.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026
The standings spoke for themselves, but the Angels’ management wanted you to know they had comprehended the lesson.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2025
I intellectually comprehended this rule, but living through it was another thing entirely.
From Slate ● Sep. 4, 2025
“I don't think we really comprehended that at the time.”
From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2024
In a way I had never quite comprehended before, I realized the role I could play in court and the possibilities before me as a defendant.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Volatile tech markets reflect the challenges of comprehending and valuing the growth of AI companies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
"She's nonverbal, so we're not sure how much she is comprehending about what is going on at the moment," Lauer told AFP.
From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026
“Higher capacity is required for complex transactions like contracts, which require not just grasping the immediate exchange, but also comprehending finer details, consequences and the broader context.”
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026
And once comprehending, shall he go with the flow?
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 9, 2026
Jennifer stared at Deidre as if not quite comprehending what she was saying.
From "It All Comes Down to This" by Karen English
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
