apprehend

Verb

1. To be or become aware of (something); to perceive.
   • […] Angel ſignifieth there, nothing but God himſelf, that cauſed Agar ſupernaturally to apprehend a voice from heaven; or rather, nothing elſe but a Voice ſupernaturall, teſtifying Gods ſpeciall preſence there. - 1651,...
   • [A]s to the barrel [of gunpowder] that had been wet, I did not apprehend any Danger from that; ſo I plac'd it in my new Cave, which in my Fancy I call'd my Kitchin, and the reſt I hid up and down in Holes among the...
   • From thy composure on the occasion it was evident, that thou expectedst to reap the fruit of thine iniquity in peace; and that, when thou repliedst, "All is well," thou apprehendedst no evil. But didst thou forget that...
2. To acknowledge the existence of (something); to recognize.
   • [E]ach man for his own sake / Accepts you as his guide, avails him of what worth / He apprehends in you to sublimate his earth / With fire: […] - 1872, Robert Browning, Fifine at the Fair, London: Smith, Elder and Co.,...
3. To take hold of (something) with understanding; to conceive (something) in the mind; to become cognizant of; to understand.
   • If to apprehend Chriſte be vnderſtanded, to dvvell in Chriſte, and to haue him dvvell in vs, it is not true that Chriſte is apprehended in that ſorte, by onely faith vvithout charitie. […] He apprehendeth Chriſte...
   • This ſuſpicion of Earl Reimund, though at firſt but a buzze, ſoon got a ſting in the Kings head, and he violently apprehended it. - 1639, Thomas Fuller, “The Fatall Jealousies betwixt the King and Reimund Earl of...
   • We ſee in all things how deſuetude do's contract and narrow our faculties, ſo that we may apprehend only thoſe things wherein we are converſant. - 1674, [Richard Allestree], “Of Boasting”, in The Government of the...

   Synonyms: catch get

4. To have a conception of (something); to consider, to regard.
   • Tim[on]. That's a laſciuious apprehenſion. / Ape[mantus]. So, thou apprehend'ſt it, / Take it for thy labour. - c. 1605–1608 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Tymon of Athens”, in Mr. William...
   • In ſtead therefore of giving them a houſe, he ſent them to a work-houſe; yet ſo, that they apprehended it a great courteſie done unto them: For he beſtowed on them all the lands which the Chriſtians held in Paleſtine;...
   • [A]t this day, the ignorant People, where Images are worſhipped, doe really beleeve there is a Divine Power in the Images; and are told by their Paſtors, that ſome of them have ſpoken; and have bled; and that miracles...

   Synonyms: believe gather reckon

5. To anticipate (something, usually unpleasant); especially, to anticipate (something) with anxiety, dread, or fear; to dread, to fear.
   • O let my Lady apprehend no feare, / In all Cupids pageant there is preſented no monſter. - c. 1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, The Famous Historie of Troylus and Cresseid. […] (First Quarto), London: […]...
   • Duke. Hath he borne himſelfe penitently in priſon? How ſeemes he to be touch'd? / Pro[vost]. A man that apprehends death no more dreadfully, but as a drunken ſleepe, careleſſe, wreakleſſe, and feareleſſe of what's paſt,...
   • There is no ſalvation to thoſe that beleeve not in Chriſt, that is ſay ſome, ſince his Nativity, and as Divinity affirmeth, before alſo; which makes me much apprehend the ends of thoſe honeſt Worthies and Philoſophers...
6. To seize or take (something); to take hold of.
   • Nicias a certaine hunter going abroad in the woods, chaunced to fall into a heape of burning coales, hauing no helpe about him but his dogs, there he periſhed, yet they ranne to the high waies and ceaſed not with...
   • When any thing happens to our diſpleaſure, let us endeavour to take of its trouble by turning it into ſpiritual or artificial advantage, and handle it on that ſide, in which it may be uſeful to the deſignes of reaſon....

   Synonyms: catch

7. To seize or take (a person) by legal process; to arrest.
   • Officers apprehended the suspect two streets away from the bank.
   • […] Paul before his converſion entred into their Synagogues at Damaſcus, to apprehend Chriſtians, men and women, and to carry them bound to Jeruſalem, by Commiſſion from the High Prieſt. - 1651, Thomas Hobbes, “Of Power...
   • [A] juſtice of the peace cannot iſſue a warrant to apprehend a felon upon bare ſuſpicion; no, not even till an indictment be actually found: and the contrary practice is by others held to be grounded rather upon...

   Synonyms: capture detain

8. To feel (something) emotionally.
   • [H]ow it worketh in the mindes and soules of them that haue no power to apprehend such felicitie, it is not for me to intimate, because it is preiudiciall to our monarchie. - 1592, Thomas Nash[e], Pierce Penilesse His...
   • Pol[itic Would-Be]. Stone dead! / Per[egrine]. Dead. Lord! how deeply, ſir, you apprehend it? / He was no kinſman to you? - 1605 (first performance), Beniamin Ionson [i.e., Ben Jonson], “Volpone, or The Foxe. A Comœdie....
   • But the juſtifying of this Doctrine did not prove of ſo bad conſequence, as the kindneſs of Mrs. Churchmans curing him of his late Diſtemper and Cold; for that was ſo gratefully apprehended by Mr. Hooker, that he...
9. To learn (something).
   • Undowghtedly in a prince or noble man may be nothinge more excellent, ye nothing more necessarye, than to aduance men after the estimation of their goodnes; and that for two speciall commodities that do come thereof....
   • Though Children, without Study, Pains, or Thought, / Are Languages, and vulgar Notions taught, / Improve their nat'ral Talents without Care, / And apprehend, before they are aware; […] - a. 1681 (date written), Samuel...
10. To take possession of (something); to seize.
    • Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which alſo I am apprehended of Chriſt Jeſus. - 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version),...
    • Thou [Jesus] followedst this poor slave [Onesimus] to Rome. Thou broughtest him under the ministry of thy servant Paul. Thou apprehendedst him by thy grace, and hadst greater joy in his conversion, than Paul had. -...
11. To be of opinion, believe, or think; to suppose.
    • Sir, if you haue a minde to mocke him, mocke him ſoftly, and looke to'ther way: for if hee apprehend you flout him, once, he will flie at you preſently. A terrible teſtie old fellow, and his name is Waſpe too. - 1614...
    • And ſince thou relieſt more on thy own precaution than upon my honour; be it unto thee as thou apprehendeſt, fair one! - 1748, [Samuel Richardson], “Letter LXXI. Mr. Hickman, to Miss Clarisa Harlowe. [Sent to Wilson’s...
12. To understand.
    • Coſin you apprehend paſſing ſhrewdly. - 1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, Much Adoe about Nothing. […], quarto edition, London: […] V[alentine] S[immes] for Andrew Wise, and William Aspley, published...
    • I confess I cannot apprehend where lies the trifling in all this; […] - 1712 November 20 (Gregorian calendar), [Richard Steele], “SUNDAY, November 10, 1712”, in The Spectator, number 532; republished in Alexander...