apprehensive (adj.)

late 14c., "capable of perceiving, fitted for mental impression," from Medieval Latin apprehensivus, from Latin apprehens-, past-participle stem of apprehendere "take hold of, grasp" physically or mentally (see apprehend). The meaning "fearful of what is to come" is recorded from 1630s, via notion of "capable of grasping with the mind" (c. 1600). Related: Apprehensively; apprehensiveness.

also from late 14c.

Entries linking to apprehensive

apprehend (v.)

late 14c., apprehenden, "grasp with the senses or mind;" early 15c., "grasp, take hold of" physically, from Latin apprehendere "to take hold of, grasp," from ad "to" (see ad-) + prehendere "to seize." This is from prae- "before;" see pre- + -hendere, from PIE root *ghend- "to seize, take."

The metaphoric extension to "seize with the mind" took place in Latin and was the sole sense of cognate Old French aprendre (12c., Modern French appréhender). Often "to hold in opinion but without positive certainty."

We "apprehend" many truths which we do not "comprehend" [Richard Trench, "On the Study of Words," 1856]

Also compare apprentice). The specific meaning "seize in the name of the law, arrest," is from 1540s. The meaning "be in fear of the future, anticipate with dread" is from c. 1600. Related: Apprehended; apprehending.

Trends of apprehensive

adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/. Ngrams are probably unreliable.

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Americanism

critics of the age, set their faces against the introduction of new words into the English language; they are particularly apprehensive...

laconic

"concise, abrupt," 1580s, literally "of or pertaining to the region around ancient Sparta" in Greece, probably via Latin Laconicus "of Laconia," from Greek Lakonikos "Laconian, of Laconia," adjective from Lakon "person from Lakonia," the district around Sparta in southern Greece

class

c. 1600, "group of students," in U.S. especially "number of pupils in a school or college of the same grade," from French classe (14c.), from Latin classis "a class, a division; army, fleet," especially "any one of the six orders into which Servius Tullius divided the Roman peopl

abhor

c. 1400, "to loathe, regard with repugnance, dislike intensely," literally "to shrink back with horror or dread," from Latin abhorrere "shrink back from, have an aversion for, shudder at," from ab "off, away from" (see ab-) + horrere "tremble at, shudder," literally "to bristle,

sober

mid-14c., sobre, "moderate in desires or actions, habitually temperate, restrained," especially "abstaining from strong drink," also "calm, quiet, not overcome by emotion," from Old French sobre "decent; sober" (12c.), from Latin sobrius "not drunk, temperate, moderate, sensible,

clothes-horse

also clothes horse, "upright wooden frame for hanging clothes to dry," 1788, from clothes + horse (n.) in its secondary sense "that upon which something is mounted." Figurative sense of "person whose sole function seems to be to show off clothes" is 1850. Clothes-screen, which ha

decorum

1560s, "that which is proper or fitting in a literary or artistic composition;" 1580s, "propriety of speech, behavior, or dress; formal politeness," from Latin decorum "that which is seemly," noun use of neuter of adjective decorus "fit, proper," from decor "beauty, elegance, cha

sister

mid-13c., suster, "female sibling, a female person in her relation to other children of the same parents," from Old English sweostor, swuster, Northumbrian soester "sister," or a Scandinavian cognate (Old Norse systir, Swedish syster, Danish søster), in any case from Proto-German

dust

"fine, dry particles of earth or other matter so light that they can be raised and carried by the wind," Old English dust, from Proto-Germanic *dunstaz (source also of Old High German tunst "storm, breath," German Dunst "mist, vapor," Danish dyst "milldust," Dutch duist), from PI

sorry

Middle English sori, from Old English sarig "distressed, grieved, full of sorrow" (not found in the physical sense of "sore"), from Proto-Germanic *sairiga- "painful" (source also of Old Saxon serag, Middle Dutch seerigh "sore; sad, sorry," Dutch zeerig "sore, full of sores," Old

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updated on September 24, 2022

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Dictionary entries near apprehensive

appreciation

appreciative

apprehend

apprehensible

apprehension

apprehensive

apprentice

apprenticeship

apprise

apprize

approach