comprehension
/ˌkɒmprɪˈhenʃn/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌkɑːmprɪˈhenʃn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌkäm-pri-ˈhen(t)-shən -prē-/ (ame, mw)
comprehension — noun
- comprehensionsingular
- comprehensionsplural
1. The mental capacity needed to grasp the importance, meaning, or significance of
The mental capacity needed to grasp the importance, meaning, or significance of something — for example, understanding a difficult text, following a complex situation, or recognising why a person feels a certain way.
Rohan's comprehension of the science article improved after he read it twice.
The teacher checked our comprehension by asking questions about the passage we read.
comprehension + of / checked + comprehension + by + verb-ing
Naoko's quick comprehension of the rules helped the team finish early.
The professor's explanation was beyond the comprehension of most first-year students.
Parents often lack comprehension of how social media affects their teenage children.
- understanding
More general and less formal; the everyday alternative to 'comprehension'.
- grasp
Suggests firm control of the material at a practical level.
- apprehension
More intellectual and formal; often used in philosophical contexts.
文法句型
comprehension + of + noun phrase
beyond + possessive + comprehension
用法筆記
Frequently paired with the preposition 'of' to indicate what is being understood. The fixed phrase 'beyond someone's comprehension' means something is too difficult to understand. Less formal alternatives include 'understanding' or 'grasp'.
常見錯誤
2. A classroom task or exam that checks how well a student understands a text or sp
A classroom task or exam that checks how well a student understands a text or spoken passage in a particular language.
Felix scored full marks on the French comprehension exam.
verb + marks on + language + comprehension
We have a listening comprehension test every Friday morning.
listening comprehension
The comprehension section asked students to summarise the main ideas.
Yasmin found the reading comprehension harder than the writing part.
Bilal practised with old exam papers to prepare for the comprehension exercise.
- reading test
More specific; only covers written language, not listening.
- listening quiz
Specifically tests understanding of spoken language, usually shorter than a comprehension test.
文法句型
adjective + comprehension + noun
noun + comprehension + noun
用法筆記
Commonly paired with 'reading' or 'listening' before 'comprehension' to specify the skill being tested (e.g., 'reading comprehension', 'listening comprehension'). In British English, 'comprehension' alone often refers to such a test; in American English 'reading test' or 'listening quiz' is more frequent.
常見錯誤
3. The quality or fact of covering a wide variety of things or including many parts
The quality or fact of covering a wide variety of things or including many parts within a whole; comprehensiveness.
Andrei argued that the comprehension of all subjects under one department was inefficient.
Aristotle's comprehension of justice covered both legal rules and moral character.
someone's comprehension of [concept] — scope/inclusion sense
Talia's theory aimed at the comprehension of many different viewpoints within a single framework.
Jenna noted that the old definition had a wider comprehension than the new one.
- comprehensiveness
The direct alternative; more transparent in meaning.
- inclusiveness
Focuses on not excluding any part; slightly different nuance.
- scope
Emphasises the range or extent of coverage.
- exclusiveness
Quality of deliberately leaving things out.
- narrowness
Limited range or scope, opposite of breadth.
文法句型
comprehension + of + noun phrase
用法筆記
Very formal and rare in everyday English. Occurs mainly in academic writing, philosophy, logic, and formal discourse about classification or scope. Learners at CEFR A1–B2 can ignore this sense; use 'comprehensiveness' or 'inclusiveness' instead.