Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Anxious or fearful about the future; uneasy.
  • adjective Archaic Capable of understanding and quick to apprehend.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • In the habit of seizing; ready to catch or seize; desirous to lay hold of: used literally and figuratively.
  • Quick to learn or understand; quick of apprehension.
  • Realizing; conscious; cognizant.
  • In a state of apprehension or fear; feeling alarm; fearful.
  • Inclined to believe or suspect; suspicious: as, I am apprehensive that he does not understand me.
  • Perceptive; feeling; sensitive.
  • In metaphysics, relating to simple apprehension.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Capable of apprehending, or quick to do so; apt; discerning.
  • adjective rare Knowing; conscious; cognizant.
  • adjective Relating to the faculty of apprehension.
  • adjective Anticipative of something unfavorable' fearful of what may be coming; in dread of possible harm; in expectation of evil.
  • adjective rare Sensible; feeling; perceptive.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Anticipating something with anxiety or fear.
  • adjective Perceptive; quick to learn; intelligent; capable of grasping with the mind or intellect.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective mentally upset over possible misfortune or danger etc
  • adjective quick to understand
  • adjective in fear or dread of possible evil or harm

Etymologies

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Examples

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  • We might be apprehensive when we aren't apprehensive of what's going on.

    November 18, 2009