Meaning

2 senses

  1. (transitive)To understand or grasp fully and thoroughly; to plumb.

    I just can't comprehend how someone could be a butcher and vegetarian at the same time.

    begreifen, einsehen

    понима́тьponimátʹ, постигатьpostigatʹ, осознатьosoznatʹ

  2. (archaic)To include, comprise; to contain.

    umfassen

    покрыва́тьpokryvátʹ

More definitions
  • to become aware of through the senses
  • get the meaning of something
  • include in scope; include as part of something broader; have as one's sphere or territory

Examples

58 sentences

  1. I couldn't comprehend it at that time.

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  2. They couldn't comprehend the seriousness of the matter.

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  3. He could hardly comprehend what she was implying.

    ruОн едва ли мог постичь то, что она подразумевала.

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  4. The professor was unable to comprehend what I meant.

    ruПрофессор не мог понять, о чём я говорю.

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  5. I doubt Tom can comprehend what we're talking about.

    ruЯ сомневаюсь, что Том может понять то, о чём мы говорим.

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Translations

8 languages
Русский
By meaning 2
to understand:
to include, contain:
Deutsch
By meaning 2
to understand:
to include, contain:

Origin

From Middle English comprehenden, from Latin comprehendere (“to grasp”), from the prefix c

From Middle English comprehenden, from Latin comprehendere (“to grasp”), from the prefix com- + prehendere (“to seize”). Doublet of comprend.

Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Forms

comprehends, comprehending, comprehended, comprehended
Base formcomprehend · to comprehend
3rd person singularcomprehends
Present participlecomprehending
Past simplecomprehended
Past participlecomprehended

regular · Lesson

Present simpleLesson

I, you, we, theycomprehend
he, she, itcomprehends

Past simpleLesson

all personscomprehended

Present perfectLesson

I, you, we, theyhave comprehended
he, she, ithas comprehended

Future simple (will)Lesson

all personswill comprehend

Synonyms

12 synonyms
seeA1
Close in meaning

Word family

10 related words
RelatedcomprehensionB2comprehensiveB2compriseC1comprehensibilitycomprehensiblecomprehensivenesscomprehendible
Derivedcomprehendermiscomprehendprecomprehend

Lessons for this word

3 lessons

See also

neighbours in the dictionary
compotecompoundB1comprehensiblecomprehensionB2comprehensiveB2
comprehend — meaning, examples, forms, synonyms | Krumeto