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
They are concerned with justice, as far as they can comprehend its meaning from the stories George reads to them.
From Salon • May 17, 2026
"It is incredibly difficult to comprehend that a life with so much promise has been cut so short, and our whole community is deeply saddened by this loss."
From BBC • May 4, 2026
When the Apollo program ended in 1972, we children couldn’t comprehend budget constraints or having bested our Soviet rivals in a long-running “space race.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026
“You cannot even begin to comprehend the things that go on behind your back. That have always gone on behind your back before any of this even started.”
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
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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