Word of the Day: Apprehensive

Pronunciation: UK /ˌæp.rɪˈhen.sɪv/ US /ˌæp.rɪˈhen.sɪv/

Meaning

Apprehensive describes someone who is worried, nervous or fearful about something that may happen in the future.

Examples for daily usage

  • She felt apprehensive about starting at a new school.
  • He was apprehensive about telling his parents the news.
  • The students looked apprehensive before the results were announced.

Origin and history

Apprehensive comes from the Latin ‘apprehendere’, meaning “to seize” or “to grasp”. The word originally had a more intellectual meaning related to understanding or perceiving something. It entered English in the late Middle English period through French and Medieval Latin.

The sense of being fearful about something that might happen developed later. According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, this meaning is recorded from the 1630s. The change in meaning is linked to the idea of mentally “grasping” or anticipating something before it happens.

Cultural significance and modern usage

Today, apprehensive is most commonly used for a feeling of uneasiness about the future. It is slightly more formal than words such as worried or nervous, which is why it frequently appears in news reports, essays and formal writing.

The word can be followed by about or of, as in “apprehensive about the journey” or “apprehensive of what might happen”. It can also be followed by that, as in “she was apprehensive that something might go wrong”.

Interestingly, older dictionaries also record apprehensive in the sense of being quick to understand or perceptive. This meaning is now uncommon.

Interesting facts

Apprehensive, apprehension and apprehend all come from the same Latin root. While apprehend can mean “understand” in formal usage, it is also commonly used to mean arrest.

The related noun apprehension can mean a feeling of anxiety or fear about something that may happen. It can also refer to understanding or perception, reflecting the word's older meaning.

Examples from literature

  • “In that sense I do feel apprehensive—I have no wish to talk nonsense.” — Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë.
  • “Are you apprehensive of the new sphere you are about to enter?—of the new life into which you are passing?” — Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë.

Synonyms

  • Worried
  • Anxious
  • Uneasy
  • Nervous
  • Fearful

Antonyms

  • Confident
  • Fearless
  • Assured
  • Calm
  • Unconcerned

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