James Baquet

    Becky sees her classmate Lily studying in the common room of their dorm.

    Becky: Hi, Lily. Still working on your word list?

    Lily: Yes, and it’s killing me! I can’t see the difference between “apprehend” and “comprehend.” I think they both mean “understand,” right?

    Becky: Yes, but there’s a slight difference.

    Lily: Can you help me?

    Becky: I’ll try. They both refer to “catching” something. In Latin, the “hend” part — or really, the “prehend” part — means “catch” or “hold.” Have you ever heard the word “prehensile?”

    Lily: I can’t say that I have.

    Becky: Some monkeys have a “prehensile tail.”

    Lily: Oh! Able to hold something — like an elephant’s trunk.

    Becky: That’s another good example of “prehensile.” So, if “-prehend” means “hold,” what parts of “apprehend” and “comprehend” are different?

    Lily: “Ap-” and “com-,” right?

    Becky: Exactly. “Ap-” is really “ad-” when appearing before a “p.” Do you know what the prefix “ad-” usually means?

    Lily: “To” or “toward.”

    Becky: That’s right. In this case, the “ap-” means we are moving toward understanding. How about “com-?”

    Lily: “With.”

    Becky: Right again! To comprehend is to be “with a complete hold or grasp” of something. In one sense, “apprehend” indicates a weak understanding. Some even say it’s like a physical understanding, coming before the mental.

    Lily: You lost me.

    Becky: You accidentally touch a flame. You apprehend immediately that fire is hot. From then on, you comprehend that fire is hot.

    Lily: I think I get it. Now, don’t these words have other meanings?

    Becky: Yes, but they’re still related. Sometimes we use “apprehend” for physically catching someone.

    Lily: “The police apprehended the suspect.”

    Becky: Right. But we seldom use it in other contexts. We don’t say, “The man apprehended a fish,” or “I apprehended my dog after he got off the leash.”

    Lily: So it has a specialized meaning, like “taking into custody.”

    Becky: Yes. There’s also another meaning, more often seen in the noun form “apprehension,” or the adjective “apprehensive.” It’s about being nervous.

    Lily: “I was apprehensive about the exam.” Can I say, “I apprehended that the exam would be difficult?”

    Becky: It’s correct, but rare. Now, another meaning of “comprehend” is “to include everything.”

    Lily: “This science course comprehends the study of both life and physical sciences.”

    Becky: Good! The adjective “comprehensive” is pretty common.

    Lily: “The news took a comprehensive look at the situation in the Middle East.”

    Becky: That’s exactly how we use it.