apprehension

C2+ Topic:Emotions & Feelings

US /ˌæprɪˈhɛnʃən/ UK /ˌæprɪˈhɛnʃn/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

noun
anxiety or fear about the future; the act of arresting

She felt growing apprehension as the exam approached.

Thesaurus

Etymology

From Latin apprehensio ('a seizing, grasping'), from apprehendere ('to grasp, seize'), from ad- and prehendere ('to seize'); the sense of anxiety arose from 'mental grasping' of a feared event.

apprehensio Latin prehendere Latin *ghend- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Emotions & Feelings Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# apprehension

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˌæprɪˈhɛnʃən/
**IPA (UK):** /ˌæprɪˈhɛnʃn/

## Meanings
1. anxiety or fear about the future; the act of arresting

## Examples
- She felt growing apprehension as the exam approached.

## Synonyms
- anxiety
- dread
- unease
- foreboding
- trepidation
- fear
- worry
- misgiving

## Antonyms
- confidence
- calm
- composure
- assurance

## Related Forms
- apprehend
- apprehensive
- comprehension
- prehensile

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: apprehensio
- Root: prehendere
- Root: *ghend-

## Etymology
From Latin apprehensio ('a seizing, grasping'), from apprehendere ('to grasp, seize'), from ad- and prehendere ('to seize'); the sense of anxiety arose from 'mental grasping' of a feared event.

## AI Etymology
Apprehension comes from Latin apprehensio ('a seizing, grasping'), from apprehendere ('to grasp, seize'), from ad- and prehendere ('to seize'); the sense of anxiety arose from 'mental grasping' of a feared event. The historical trail runs through Latin apprehensio, Latin prehendere and Proto-Indo-European *ghend-. The later sense follows a semantic development already present in the word's history. In modern use it means anxiety or fear about the future; the act of arresting. Related forms include apprehend, apprehensive, comprehension, prehensile.

## Topics
- Emotions & Feelings
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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