comprehend
verb
Henry Osborn TaylorThomas B. SilverPerry Meisel
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To comprehend is to mentally grasp something's complete nature or meaning. Comprehend is thus often a bit stronger than understand: for example, you may understand the instructions in a handbook without completely comprehending their purpose. Comprehend's second meaning is much less common. Using that sense of the word, we could say that good manners comprehends (that is, includes) more than simple table etiquette, for example, or that true courage comprehends more than just physical showing off. And something comprehensive includes a great deal: so a comprehensive exam, for instance, includes all the material that was studied in the course.
Examples of comprehend in a Sentence
Big Think, 27 Oct. 2025
This included their ability to understand and reason with language and the ability to visualize and comprehend objects and their relations in space.
—Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2025
Ashley was so stunned that she could be seen standing still for several seconds while trying to comprehend what was going on.
—Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
However, few fans comprehend that the latest action formalizes what has already occurred naturally.
—Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for comprehend
Cite this Entry
“Comprehend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/comprehend. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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comprehend
verb
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