apprehension - Dictionary Definition : Vocabulary.com

Lucky you! Apprehension has three meanings: 1) the capture of a criminal; 2) the understanding of an idea; 3) a fear, doubt, or misgiving.

Given the crook's record of evading arrest, the chief had real apprehensions about being able to catch him again. Eventually though, he lost those misgivings and activated the whole police force in an effort to ensure the felon's apprehension. And it paid off! They caught him red-handed. But it wasn't until he saw the video of the crime in progress that the guy apprehended just how much trouble he was in. It was that apprehension that led him to make a deal with the district attorney.

PRIMARY MEANINGS OF: apprehension

1	n	fearful expectation or anticipation
2	n	the cognitive condition of someone who understands
3	n	the act of apprehending (especially apprehending a criminal)

FULL DEFINITIONS OF: apprehension

1

n fearful expectation or anticipation

“the student looked around the examination room with apprehension”

Synonyms:: apprehensiveness, dread

Types:: show 7 types...; hide 7 types...; trepidation
a feeling of alarm or dread; boding, foreboding, premonition, presentiment
a feeling of evil to come; suspense
apprehension about what is going to happen; gloom, gloominess, somberness, sombreness
a feeling of melancholy apprehension; chill, pall
a sudden numbing dread; shadow
a premonition of something adverse; presage
a foreboding about what is about to happen

Type of:: fear, fearfulness, fright
an emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger (usually accompanied by a desire to flee or fight)

n painful expectation

Synonyms:: misgiving

Type of:: expectation, outlook, prospect
belief about (or mental picture of) the future

2

n the cognitive condition of someone who understands

Synonyms:: discernment, savvy, understanding

Types:: show 13 types...; hide 13 types...; comprehension
an ability to understand the meaning or importance of something (or the knowledge acquired as a result); self-knowledge
an understanding of yourself and your goals and abilities; smattering
a slight or superficial understanding of a subject; appreciation, grasp, hold
understanding of the nature or meaning or quality or magnitude of something; grasping
understanding with difficulty; hindsight
understanding the nature of an event after it has happened; brainstorm, brainwave, insight
the clear (and often sudden) understanding of a complex situation; realisation, realization, recognition
coming to understand something clearly and distinctly; sense
a natural appreciation or ability; light
mental understanding as an enlightening experience; revelation
an enlightening or astonishing disclosure; breakthrough, discovery, find
a productive insight; flash
a sudden brilliant understanding

Type of:: knowing
a clear and certain mental apprehension

3

n the act of apprehending (especially apprehending a criminal)

Synonyms:: arrest, catch, collar, pinch, taking into custody

Type of:: capture, gaining control, seizure
the act of forcibly dispossessing an owner of property