comprehend
- 01 C2 Proficiency
to include or contain several different things.
to include, comprise, or encompass within a larger whole. This sense is now largely restricted to formal or legal contexts.
Simple“The new law will comprehend all previous rules about building safety.”
In context“The term 'human rights' as used in this treaty shall comprehend all civil, political, and social liberties previously established by the council.”
Teacher's tipThis sense is very rare in modern speech; learners should use 'include' or 'encompass' instead.
“It’s impossible to comprehend how Flowers thought this song was a good idea.”
“At the start of the film Cody is broken down, near mute and blinking heavily as if he’s still trying to comprehend how he ended up here.”
From Middle English comprehenden, from Latin comprehendere (“to grasp”), from the prefix com- + prehendere (“to seize”). Doublet of comprend.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.