comprehension
noun
com·pre·hen·sion
ˌkäm-pri-ˈhen(t)-shən 
-prē-
1
a
: the act or action of grasping with the intellect : understanding
children who have difficulty with comprehension of spoken language
What the artist actually needs is comprehension of his aims and ideals by men he respects …—
H. L. Mencken
H. L. Mencken
b
: knowledge gained by comprehending
tests that measure the students' comprehension in math
She carried on with full comprehension of the risk involved.
c
: the capacity for understanding fully
mysteries that are beyond our comprehension
The war caused suffering beyond comprehension.
2
a
: the act or process of comprising
the comprehension of all the denominations into one Church
b
: the faculty or capability of including : comprehensiveness
the broad comprehension of the word "animal"
Examples of comprehension in a Sentence
The students showed excellent reading comprehension.
the president's comprehension of the current situation in the Middle East
Recent Examples on the Web
This eight-week class, with lessons on English grammar, pronunciation and idioms, is for adult (18 years and older) intermediate and advanced English learners who can have a conversation in English but want to improve their pronunciation and comprehension.
—Jake Richardson, Mercury News, 21 Apr. 2025
At the same time, there’s the question of a player’s skill and comprehension, which also grows over time.
—Alan Bradley, ArsTechnica, 17 Apr. 2025
Exercises test your comprehension, listening, and reading abilities.
—PC Magazine, 16 Apr. 2025
Personalized learning algorithms can help tailor educational content to individual student needs, improving engagement and comprehension.
—Dhivya Nagasubramanian, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for comprehension
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Jake Richardson, Mercury News, 21 Apr. 2025
At the same time, there’s the question of a player’s skill and comprehension, which also grows over time.
—Alan Bradley, ArsTechnica, 17 Apr. 2025
Exercises test your comprehension, listening, and reading abilities.
—PC Magazine, 16 Apr. 2025
Personalized learning algorithms can help tailor educational content to individual student needs, improving engagement and comprehension.
—Dhivya Nagasubramanian, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for comprehension
Cite this Entry
“Comprehension.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/comprehension. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
comprehension
noun
com·pre·hen·sion
ˌkäm-pri-ˈhen-chən
1
: the act of comprehending
2
: knowledge gained by comprehending
3
: the capacity for understanding
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