comprehend
gb/kˌɑmpɹihˈɛnd/ us/kˌɑmpɹihˈɛnd/
B2
English
~ 4700
Senses
0 senses
Verb
B2
action
1
Understand the meaning
To understand what something means.
Usage pattern:
to comprehend [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'comprehend' with 'compare' due to similar spelling; also, 'comprehend' is often more formal than 'understand', so overuse in casual speech can sound unnatural.
Synonyms
understand (Most common and general term for grasping meaning; 'comprehend' is slightly more formal.)
|
grasp (Informal and vivid; suggests quick or intuitive understanding.)
Antonyms
misunderstand (To fail to correctly understand something.)
Collocations
comprehend fully
|comprehend the situation
|comprehend the meaning
|difficult to comprehend
Themes
learning
|communication
|thinking
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- I cannot comprehend why he acted that way.
- She quickly comprehended the main idea of the lecture.
- The report was so technical that few people could comprehend it.
- Children may not fully comprehend the dangers of the internet.
Learner examples
- I do not comprehend this word.
- He can comprehend short stories in English.
- We comprehend the rules of the game.
- She cannot comprehend the question.
Verb
formal
C1
action
2
Include as part of whole
To have or include something as part of a whole.
Usage pattern:
to comprehend [something]
Common mistake:
Learners may mistakenly use this sense when they mean 'understand', since that is the more common meaning. This usage is rare in everyday speech.
Synonyms
include (More common and neutral; 'comprehend' in this sense is formal and less frequent.)
|
encompass (Similar in formality; often used for broad or complete inclusion.)
Antonyms
exclude (To leave something out of a whole.)
Collocations
comprehend all aspects
|comprehend the whole range
Themes
structure
|classification
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The course comprehends both theory and practice.
- This definition comprehends several related concepts.
- The law comprehends all citizens regardless of status.
Learner examples
- The book comprehends many topics.
- The class comprehends history and science.
- The plan comprehends all parts of the project.
Grammar
Dictionary form
comprehend
IPA
GB/kˌɑmpɹihˈɛnd/
US/kˌɑmpɹihˈɛnd/
Syllables & stress
com - pre - hend (3 syllables)
Stress on 3rd syllable (hend)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: comprehend
- 3rd Person Singular: comprehends
- Present Participle: comprehending
- Past: comprehended
Word family
Forms
comprehends
verb
comprehending
verb
comprehended
verb
Core family
Related words
comprehensibly
adverb
comprehensively
adverb
Negative and opposite forms
incomprehensible
adjective B2
Advanced or less common
comprehensibility
noun
incomprehension
noun
Expressions
cannot comprehend
1/kænˈɑt kˌɑmpɹihˈɛnd/
fixed phrase
Be unable to understand
To not be able to understand something at all.
Examples
- I cannot comprehend how this happened.
- She cannot comprehend why they left so suddenly.
difficult to comprehend
1/dˈɪfɪkʌlt tə kˌɑmpɹihˈɛnd/
fixed phrase
Hard to understand
Hard to understand or make sense of.
Examples
- The instructions were difficult to comprehend.
- His accent made his words difficult to comprehend.