Y10W39VC Word Roots — -prehend / -prehens- (grasp / seize)
The roots -prehend- and -prehens- come from Latin and carry the core meaning of ‘to grasp’ or ‘to seize’. They appear in words that describe understanding, capturing meaning, and the mental act of taking hold of ideas. This module explores six Academic Vocab words built on these roots, plus three further examples in the Word Families section.
Word Families
These words are built from the root -prehend / -prehens-, which carries the idea of 'grasp / seize'. Notice how that root meaning helps each word express a more precise idea.
comprehend
/ˌ kɒm.prɪˈhend/
com‑pre‑hend
verb | [comprehend – comprehended – comprehended]
To comprehend means to grasp or understand something fully, particularly something complex or abstract.
Word Breakdown: com- (prefix meaning ‘together’ or ‘fully’)
Example: The scale of the humanitarian crisis was so vast that it was difficult to comprehend its full implications.
Synonyms: understand, grasp, follow
Collocations: fully comprehend, difficult to comprehend, comprehend the significance of
apprehend
/ˌ æp.rɪˈhend/
ap‑pre‑hend
verb | [apprehend – apprehended – apprehended]
To apprehend means to understand or perceive something, or in a legal context, to arrest or seize a suspect.
Word Breakdown: ap- (prefix meaning ‘to’, variant of ad-)
Example: The philosopher argues that certain truths can only be apprehended through lived experience, not through abstract reasoning alone.
Synonyms: understand, perceive, grasp
Collocations: apprehend the truth, apprehend a suspect, difficult to apprehend
comprehensive
/ˌ kɒm.prɪˈhen.sɪv/
com‑pre‑hen‑sive
adjective
Comprehensive describes something that includes all or nearly all aspects of a topic, covering it fully and thoroughly.
Example: The commission produced a comprehensive report that addressed all major dimensions of the crisis, including its historical, economic, and social roots.
Synonyms: thorough, complete, wide-ranging
Collocations: comprehensive review, comprehensive analysis, comprehensive coverage
Academic Vocab
conclude
/kənˈkluːd/
con‑clude
verb | [conclude – concluded – concluded]
To conclude means to bring something to an end, or to reach a decision or judgement based on reasoning and evidence.
Word Breakdown: con- (prefix meaning ‘together’)
Word family: conclusion (n.), conclusive (adj.)
Example: The researcher concluded that the correlation between income inequality and poor health outcomes is robust across all three data sets.
Synonyms: determine, establish, infer
Collocations: conclude that, conclude from, conclude with
maintain
/meɪnˈteɪn/
main‑tain
verb | [maintain – maintained – maintained]
To maintain means to keep something in its current state, or in academic writing, to assert a position despite disagreement or contrary evidence.
Word family: maintenance (n.)
Example: The scholar maintains that the biographical approach to literary criticism remains the least defensible of all critical methods.
Synonyms: uphold, sustain, assert
Collocations: maintain a position, maintain that, maintain throughout
assert
/əˈsɜːt/
as‑sert
verb | [assert – asserted – asserted]
To assert means to state something confidently and directly, without necessarily providing supporting evidence or reasoning.
Word Breakdown: as- (variant of ad-, meaning ‘to’)
Word family: assertion (n.), assertive (adj.)
Example: The spokesperson asserted that the policy would benefit all workers, but declined to provide specific data to support the claim.
Synonyms: claim, state, declare
Collocations: assert that, assert a right, boldly assert
argue
/ˈɑː.gjuː/
ar‑gue
verb | [argue – argued – argued]
To argue means to give reasons or evidence in support of a position, building a case through systematic reasoning.
Word family: argument (n.), arguable (adj.)
Example: The historian argues that the causes of the First World War cannot be reduced to any single factor, however significant.
Synonyms: contend, maintain, reason
Collocations: argue that, argue for, it could be argued
contend
/kənˈtend/
con‑tend
verb | [contend – contended – contended]
To contend means to assert a position particularly in the face of opposition or competing views, or to struggle with a difficulty.
Word family: contention (n.), contentious (adj.)
Example: The philosopher contends that free will is incompatible with a fully deterministic account of the universe.
Synonyms: argue, maintain, assert
Collocations: contend that, contend with, widely contended
in conclusion
/ɪn kənˈkluːʒən/
in con‑clu‑sion
academic writing phrase
‘In conclusion’ is used in academic writing to signal the final stage of an argument, introducing a summary of the main points or a statement of the overall finding or judgement.
Example: In conclusion, the evidence across all three case studies suggests that structural reform, rather than individual behavioural change, is the more effective approach to addressing systemic poverty.
Synonyms: to conclude, in summary, in closing
Collocations: in conclusion, the, in conclusion
Confusing Words
a good example vs a compelling example / a salient example
These three phrases all introduce an illustrative instance, but they differ in the quality and type of significance they attribute to it.
- a good example — A good example is the most general and neutral phrase: it indicates that an example illustrates a point effectively without specifying why or in what particular way it is effective. Use it when the connection between example and argument is clear but you do not wish to claim special status for the example.
- a compelling example — A compelling example signals that the instance is particularly persuasive or forceful, drawing the reader in and making the argument difficult to resist. It implies the example has rhetorical as well as illustrative power.
- a salient example — A salient example signals that the instance is particularly relevant, striking, or notable in the context of the argument — it stands out because of its direct bearing on the point being made.
- apt example — apt example' a well-chosen example that fits the point exactly; use it when that exact meaning is needed, rather than choosing a nearby word that only sounds similar.
Memory rule: A practical guide: use a good example for clear, effective illustration; use a compelling example when the instance is particularly persuasive and hard to dispute; use a salient example when the instance is particularly relevant, striking, or directly apt for the argument being made.
- Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh.
- Opens in a new window.