anticipation of adversity or misfortune; suspicion or fear of future trouble or evil.
2.
the faculty or act of apprehending, especially intuitive understanding; perception on a direct and immediate level.
3.
acceptance of or receptivity to information without passing judgment on its validity, often without complete comprehension.
4.
a view, opinion, or idea on any subject.
5.
the act of arresting; seizure.
Origin: 1350–1400; Middle English (< Old French ) < Late Latin apprehēnsiōn- (stem of apprehēnsiō), equivalent to apprehens- (see apprehensible) + -iōn--ion
Related forms
non·ap·pre·hen·sion, noun
o·ver·ap·pre·hen·sion, noun
pre·ap·pre·hen·sion, noun
re·ap·pre·hen·sion, noun
Synonyms 1. alarm, worry, uneasiness; suspicion. Apprehension,anxiety,misgiving imply an unsettled and uneasy state of mind. Apprehension is an active state of fear, usually of some danger or misfortune: apprehension before opening a telegram. Anxiety is a somewhat prolonged state of apprehensive worry: anxiety because of a reduced income. Misgiving implies a dubious uncertainty or suspicion, as well as uneasiness: to have misgivings about the investment. 5. capture.
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.
a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.
a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question.
an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.
1570s, "seizure on behalf of authority," from L. apprehensionem (nom. apprehensio), noun of action from apprehendere (see apprehend). Meaning "lay hold of with the mind" is attested from 1580s; that of "anticipation" (usually with dread) is recorded from c.1600.