comprehension
gb/kˌɑmpɹihˈɛnʃən/ us/kˌɑmpɹihˈɛnʃən/
B1
Inglés
~ 7500
Acepciones
0 acepciones
Sustantivo
B1
state
1
understanding of something
The state of understanding something in your mind.
Patrón de uso:
[someone]'s comprehension of [something]
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes say *“I have a good comprehension about it”*; in natural English we say *“I have good comprehension of it”* or more often *“I understand it well.”* Many contexts where learners choose *comprehension* sound more natural with *understanding*.
Sinónimos
understanding (The most general and common word; almost always interchangeable in everyday contexts.)
|
grasp (Slightly more informal and vivid; can sound more active, as if you catch an idea.)
Antónimos
incomprehension (Highlights complete failure to understand, especially when something has been explained.)
Colocaciones
full comprehension
|deep comprehension
|lack of comprehension
|beyond my comprehension
|listening comprehension
|reading comprehension
Temas
thinking
|education
|language
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- Her comprehension of the problem improved after the teacher explained it again.
- The instructions were so unclear that they were beyond my comprehension.
- The exam mainly tested students’ comprehension of the main ideas in the article.
- Good subtitles can really help viewers’ comprehension of foreign films.
- There was a clear lack of comprehension among staff about the new policy.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- His comprehension of the story is very good.
- The teacher checked our comprehension of the text with some questions.
- This long sentence is hard for my comprehension.
- I listened to the news, but my comprehension was low.
- We did a listening task to practice our comprehension.
Sustantivo
B2
property
2
general capacity to understand
How able someone is, in general, to understand things.
Patrón de uso:
[someone] has [limited / good] comprehension
Error frecuente:
Learners may confuse this ability sense with a single act of understanding. *“My comprehension of this movie is low”* is understandable but sounds unusual; it is more natural to say *“I don’t understand this movie”* or *“This movie is too difficult for my level of comprehension.”*
Sinónimos
intelligence (Broader and more common; includes problem‑solving and reasoning, not just understanding.)
|
capacity (More formal; focuses on the potential level of understanding, not the act itself.)
Antónimos
stupidity (Informal and often rude; used to criticize someone’s very low ability to understand.)
Colocaciones
limited comprehension
|poor comprehension
|good comprehension
|high level of comprehension
|a child of limited comprehension
Temas
thinking
|psychology
|education
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- The book is written for readers of average comprehension.
- Teachers must adapt their explanations to the children’s level of comprehension.
- For someone of his age, his comprehension is remarkable.
- The legal text is far beyond the comprehension of most teenagers.
- Patients with reduced verbal comprehension may need extra support.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- Some students have poor comprehension and need more help.
- The test is difficult for children with low comprehension.
- Her comprehension is very high for her age.
- This TV show is made for viewers with basic comprehension.
- We must think about the level of students’ comprehension when we choose a text.
Sustantivo
technical
C2
entity
3
set of defining features of a term
In logic or linguistics, all the ideas or qualities that together make the meaning of a word.
Patrón de uso:
the comprehension of [a term]
Error frecuente:
Learners may wrongly assume this technical sense is the same as everyday *understanding*. In logic, *comprehension* is about the list of features in the meaning of a term, not about how well a person understands it.
Sinónimos
intension (The more standard technical term in modern philosophy and linguistics for this idea.)
Antónimos
extension (In logic, the opposite side: the set of things a term applies to, not the features in its meaning.)
Colocaciones
the comprehension of a term
|intension and comprehension
|the comprehension of the concept
|logical comprehension
Temas
linguistics
|philosophy
|logic
|science
|education
Ejemplos
- In traditional logic, the comprehension of a concept consists of the attributes it implies.
- The term’s comprehension has changed over time as social attitudes shifted.
- We distinguish between the comprehension of a predicate and its extension.
- Some philosophers argue that the comprehension of natural kind terms is partly fixed by experts.
- The paper carefully analyzes the comprehension of the word in different legal systems.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- In this class we talk about the comprehension of words in logic.
- The comprehension of a word is the group of ideas inside its meaning.
- We must not mix the comprehension of a term with its extension.
- The comprehension of this concept is very rich and complex.
- Changes in culture can change the comprehension of a word.
Gramática
Forma de diccionario
comprehension
AFI
GB/kˌɑmpɹihˈɛnʃən/
US/kˌɑmpɹihˈɛnʃən/
Sílabas y acento
com - pre - hen - sion (4 sílabas)
Stress on 3rd syllable (hen)
Formas de la palabra
Noun
- Base: comprehension
- Plural: comprehension, comprehensions
Familia de palabras
Forms
comprehensions
noun
Core family
comprehend
verb B2
comprehensible
adjective
Related words
comprehensive
adjective B2
comprehensively
adverb
Negative and opposite forms
incomprehensible
adjective B2
Advanced or less common
comprehensibility
noun
incomprehensibly
adverb
Expresiones
aid comprehension
1/ˈeɪd kˌɑmpɹihˈɛnʃən/
fixed phrase
formal
help understanding
To make it easier for people to understand something.
Ejemplos
- Diagrams can greatly aid comprehension of complex processes.
- The use of clear headings helps aid comprehension.
beyond comprehension
1/bɪjˈɔnd kˌɑmpɹihˈɛnʃən/
fixed phrase
too hard to understand
So difficult or strange that people cannot understand it.
Ejemplos
- The cruelty of the crime was beyond comprehension.
- Such levels of corruption are beyond comprehension for most citizens.
beyond my comprehension
1/bɪjˈɔnd mˈaɪ kˌɑmpɹihˈɛnʃən/
fixed phrase
too hard for me to understand
Too difficult or strange for me to understand.
Ejemplos
- How anyone could do such a thing is beyond my comprehension.
- The success of that terrible movie is beyond my comprehension.
for ease of comprehension
1/fɚ ˈiz əv kˌɑmpɹihˈɛnʃən/
fixed phrase
formal
to make it easy to understand
To make something simpler so that people can understand it more easily.
Ejemplos
- The data are shown in a chart for ease of comprehension.
- Headings have been added for ease of comprehension.
listening comprehension
1/lˈɪsnɪŋ kˌɑmpɹihˈɛnʃən/
fixed phrase
understanding spoken language
How well someone understands what they hear in a language.
Ejemplos
- My listening comprehension is weaker than my speaking.
- Watching movies without subtitles can improve your listening comprehension.
reading comprehension
1/ɹˈidɪŋ kˌɑmpɹihˈɛnʃən/
fixed phrase
understanding written texts
How well someone understands what they read.
Ejemplos
- The test measures students’ reading comprehension, not their speed.
- Good vocabulary is essential for strong reading comprehension.
reading comprehension
1/ɹˈidɪŋ kˌɑmpɹihˈɛnʃən/
fixed phrase
Understanding written text
The skill of understanding what you read.
Ejemplos
- The test measures vocabulary and reading comprehension.
- Children improve their reading comprehension by discussing stories.
- The article was too difficult for my current reading comprehension level.
test comprehension
1/tˈɛst kˌɑmpɹihˈɛnʃən/
fixed phrase
check someone’s understanding
To check how well a person understands something.
Ejemplos
- The teacher used a short quiz to test comprehension after the lecture.
- Questions at the end of each chapter help test comprehension.