comprehensible

[ kom-pri-hen-suh-buhl ]

adjective

1. capable of being comprehended or understood; intelligible.

comprehensible

/ ˌkɒmprɪˈhɛnsəbəl /

adjective

1. capable of being comprehended

Derived Forms

• ˌcompreˈhensibly, adverb
• ˌcompreˌhensiˈbility, noun

Other Words From

• compre·hensi·bili·ty compre·hensi·ble·ness noun
• compre·hensi·bly adverb
• inter·compre·hensi·bili·ty noun
• noncom·pre·hendi·ble adjective
• noncom·pre·hensi·ble adjective
• noncom·pre·hensi·ble·ly adverb
• uncom·pre·hensi·ble adjective
• uncom·pre·hensi·ble·ness noun
• uncom·pre·hensi·bly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of comprehensible¹

From the Latin word comprehēnsibilis, dating back to 1520–30. See comprehension, -ible

Example Sentences

Shells, at one time or another, seem to have represented all of these things, and Barnett’s book buzzes with histories spanning a barely comprehensible 800 million years.

From Washington Post

Now, in a scientific milestone, researchers have tapped into the speech areas of his brain—allowing him to produce comprehensible words and sentences simply by trying to say them.

From Singularity Hub 

If you’re curious, feel free to explore some more technical, but still comprehensible methods to parse out seasonality.

From Search Engine Land

It’s that much of the base has, for comprehensible reasons, embraced the idea that they’re better served by fending for themselves than organizing under the umbrella of the party.

From Washington Post

More comprehensible research has shown that behavior seems to be the most important tool to cope with extreme heat in warm-blooded creatures.

From Popular-Science

If nothing else, this comprehensive and comprehensible idea could move our leaders past the present paralysis.

From The Daily Beast

But they're comprehensible, and that comprehensibility is surprisingly comforting.

From The Daily Beast

Most crimes are motivated by unlovely impulses that are at least comprehensible: the desire for money, sex, respect, revenge.

From The Daily Beast

Ghesquière is a resolutely modern designer whose work is both comprehensible and challenging.

From The Daily Beast

Also, of course, George made his money in a straightforward and comprehensible way.

From The Daily Beast

Now there is a cause for this, as there is no effect without a cause, a comprehensible remediable cause.

From Project Gutenberg

This attitude of the scientific world toward these problematical occurrences is quite comprehensible.

From Project Gutenberg

If religion was comprehensible, priests would not have so many charges here below.

From Project Gutenberg

To even such genuine modesty as Jim-Ed's this was comprehensible.

From Project Gutenberg

This historical inquiry was neither comprehensible nor interesting.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• coherent
• explicit
• intelligible