Apprehension

From ArticleWorld

There are three ways in which the noun apprehension can be used.

Awareness

Apprehension is the awareness of a thing and is different to the act of making a judgement, which is something we do consciously. There are many things we apprehend throughout the day, most of them familiar objects which we simply accept until something new about them catches our attention, making us stop and consider.

It is the cognitive condition of someone who understands something without going into the cause and effect of it. Reading a work of fiction in which we accept the characters and their actions without really thinking about them and passively listening to music may also be described as apprehension, and it is only until the character in the book ‘does’ something we don’t accept as likely or the musician hits a false note does the act of judgement take over.

Fear or dread

Apprehension can also mean a feeling of anxiety or fear where the source of the feeling is not concrete or recognized, which simply adds to the stress. It is a feeling of dread about the future and can manifest itself in physical ways such as sweating, shaking and muscle tension as well as mental responses such as feeling unable to control one’s future.

Arrest

The term is also used in police work when a criminal is caught and arrested, then he or she could also be said to have been apprehended.