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A mental act or process; especially: (a) The act of understanding; simple apprehension of ideas; intuition. Bentley. (b) A creation of the mind itself. Hickok.

The capacity to know or understand; readiness of comprehension; the intellect, as a gift or an endowment. And dimmed with darkness their intelligence. Spenser.

collective attributes, qualities, or marks that make up a complex general notion; the comprehension, content, or connotation; - - opposed to extension, extent, or sphere. This law is, that the intension of our knowledge is in the inverse ratio of its extension. Sir W. Hamilton.

Any mental apprehension of an object. First intention (Logic), a conception of a thing formed by the first or direct application of the mind to the individual object; an idea or image; as, man, stone. -- Second intention (Logic), a conception generalized from first intuition or apprehension already formed by the mind;…

Direct apprehension or cognition; immediate knowledge, as in perception or consciousness; -- distinguished from "mediate" knowledge, as in reasoning; as, the mind knows by intuition that black is not white, that a circle is not a square, that three are more than two, etc.; quick or ready insight or apprehension. Sagaci…

The quality of being jealous; earnest concern or solicitude; painful apprehension of rivalship in cases nearly affecting one's happiness; painful suspicion of the faithfulness of husband, wife, or lover. I was jealous for jealousy. Zech. viii. 2. Jealousy is the . . . apprehension of superiority. Shenstone. Whoever had…

f sight or knowledge. "Beyond his ken." Longfellow. Above the reach and ken of a mortal apprehension. South. It was relief to quit the ken And the inquiring looks of men. Trench.

The act or state of knowing; clear perception of fact, truth, or duty; certain apprehension; familiar cognizance; cognition. Knowledge, which is the highest degree of the speculative faculties, consists in the perception of the truth of affirmative or negative propositions. Locke.

That (without the negative particle); -- after certain expressions denoting fear or apprehension. I feared Lest I might anger thee. Shak.

By, or with, misapprehension.

Specifically: To give doubt and apprehension to, instead of confidence and courage; to impart fear to; to make irresolute; -- usually said of the mind or heart, and followed by the objective personal pronoun. So doth my heart misgive me in these conflicts What may befall him, to his harm and ours. Shak. Such whose cons…

The act of misprising; misapprehension; misconception; mistake. [Archaic] Fuller. The misprision of this passage has aided in fostering the delusive notion. Hare.

Extraordinary in a way to excite wonder, dislike, apprehension, etc.; -- said of size, appearance, color, sound, etc.; as, a monstrous height; a monstrous ox; a monstrous story.

has not been or can not be explained; hence, specifically, that which is beyond human comprehension. We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery. 1 Cor. ii. 7. If God should please to reveal unto us this great mystery of the Trinity, or some other mysteries in our holy religion, we should not be able to understand them, u…

Remote from or beyond human comprehension; baffling human understanding; unknowable; obscure; mysterious. Heaven's numerous hierarchy span The mystic gulf from God to man. Emerson. God hath revealed a way mystical and supernatural. Hooker.

Mental apprehension of whatever may be known or imagined; an idea; a conception; more properly, a general or universal conception, as distinguishable or definable by marks or notæ. What hath been generally agreed on, I content myself to assume under the notion of principles. Sir I. Newton. Few agree in their notions ab…

In mental apprehension; in conception; not in reality. Two faculties . . . notionally or really distinct. Norris.

eech; defamatory language; language that casts contempt on men or their actions; blame; reprehension. Shall names that made yuor city the glory of the earth be mentioned with obloquy and detraction Addison.

rgans; to fit with organs; to organize. [Obs.] Thou art elemented and organed for other apprehensions. Bp. Mannyngham.

rpose, principle, etc.; to discourage or discomfit by laughing; to laugh down. [R.] His apprehensions of being outlaughed will force him to continue in a restless obscurity. Franklin.