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.
"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
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
Even if you don’t trust her motivations when she’s saying something or completely comprehend it, it seems true.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026
I walked fast through the room: I stopped, half suffocated with the thoughts that rose faster than I could receive, comprehend, settle them:—thoughts of what might, could, would, and should be, and that ere long.
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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