What is the Latin word for comprehend?

The usual Latin words for “comprehend” are comprehendō, complector, contineō; also mēns, capiō, percipiō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“comprehend” in Latin

comprehendōto lay hold of something on all sides; take or catch hold of, grasp, grip; to seize upon in a hostile manner, lay hold o complectorto embrace or hug; to encircle, surround, encompass; to comprehend, understand contineōto hold, keep, connect, contain, maintain; to hold or keep together/close; connect, surround; to keep in, enclose, bound mēnsmind; intellect, reason; reasoning, judgement capiōto take, to capture, to catch, to seize, to take captive, to storm; to take on, adopt; to hold, to contain percipiōto seize or take on (entirely); assume; earn; occupy, keep (i.e. maintain control); to perceive, observe, notice; to fee assequorto follow someone in order to come up to him; pursue, go after; to overtake, come up with, reach, catch up; to gain, obt perspiciōto see through something; to perceive or discern clearly patiorto suffer, endure, tolerate; to allow, acquiesce, permit, submit; to exist, live

The English word comprehend itself goes back to Latin prehendō, through comprehendere.

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

comprehend

to comprise: comprehendere. complecti (as well of space as of mental comprehension): continere (of things only): the world comprehends every thing, mundus omnia complexu suo coërcet et continet: to comprehend much, late patere: to be comprehended in anything, subesse alicui rei; pertinere ad rem (belong to anything): to be comprehended in the number, esse or haberi in eo numero.

To master with one’s intellect, etc.: comprehendere, complecti with and without animo or mente: cogitatione comprehendere (to comprehend with one’s intellect): capere (mente): mente concipere, percipere. cognoscere et percipere (seize with one’s intellect): assequi (reach or seize, as it were, the meaning or sense of anything, to understand): intelligere, also with the addition of animo ac ratione (Cic.): (the words are found in this connexion and order.) intelligere et cogitatione comprehendere: perspicere (see through a thing): to have comprehended, comprehensum, perceptum, cognitum comprehensumque habere; animo comprehensum tenere; ratione et intelligentia tenere: to comprehend readily, celeriter comprehendere; arripere: to comprehend anything thoroughly, penitus perspicere planeque cognoscere; easy or difficult to comprehend [Vid: COMPREHENSIBLE]: what can not at all be comprehended, quod nullius mens aut cogitatio capere potest: not to be comprehended, fugere intelligentiae nostrae vim ac notionem; I can not comprehend (i. e., I am at a loss), miror, admiror aliquid, also with quod or infinitive; e.g., I can not comprehend why your letter is so short, admiror brevitatem epistolae: it is difficult to comprehend what or of what nature the mind is, difficilis est animi, quid aut qualis sit, intelligentia; scarcely to be able to comprehend anything with the greatest meditation, aliquid vix summa ingenii ratione comprehendere. one who comprehends anything easily, docilis: in aliquo est ingenii docilitas (teachable); perspicax (having a quick eye); slow in comprehending, tardus (slow of comprehension).

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for comprehend?: The usual Latin words for “comprehend” are comprehendō, complector, contineō; also mēns, capiō, percipiō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.