Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1300-1400
Language: Latin
Origin: comprehendere 'to take hold of completely', from com- ( COM-) + prehendere ( PREHENSILE)

comprehend

 verb
     
com‧pre‧hend [intransitive,transitive not in progressive]
to understand something that is complicated or difficult [= understand, grasp; ↪ comprehension]:
She cannot comprehend the extent of the disaster.
I did not fully comprehend what had happened.
comprehend what/how/why etc
It may be hard to comprehend how much this gift means for my country.
comprehend that
Finally, she comprehended that he wanted his pay.
! In spoken English and ordinary written English, it is more usual to use understand.
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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