comprehend
Usage
What are other ways to say comprehend?
To comprehend is to know something thoroughly and to perceive its relationships to certain other ideas, facts, etc. To know is to be aware of something as a fact or truth: He knows the basic facts of the subject. I know that he agrees with me. To understand is to be fully aware not only of the meaning of something but also of its implications: I could comprehend all he said, but did not understand that he was joking.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Something that really struck me while watching your documentary a few years ago was, it can be hard now to comprehend what fame was like in the ’80s and the ’90s.
From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026
Thank whatever god responsible that never happened, because the devastation of dropping just one nuke would be so horrendous that we can barely comprehend it.
From Salon • May 8, 2026
I was 10 at the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis, too young to comprehend the political climate but keenly aware of the fear that gripped the nation.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026
Curreri, a former police officer, said Bush's "intentional negligence" was "pretty difficult to comprehend".
From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026
It is a fine thing, reader, to be lifted in a moment from indigence to wealth—a very fine thing; but not a matter one can comprehend, or consequently enjoy, all at once.
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
Vocabulary lists containing comprehend
Vocabulary of the Common Core
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List 4
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Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
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