/ ˌkɒmprɪˈhenʃn; NAmE ˌkɑːm-/ noun
1.
[ U ] the ability to understand :
speech and comprehension
His behaviour was completely beyond comprehension (= impossible to understand) .
She had no comprehension of what was involved.
2.
[ U , C ] an exercise that trains students to understand a language :
listening comprehension
a reading comprehension
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English : from French compréhension or Latin comprehensio(n-) , from the verb comprehendere seize, comprise, from com- together + prehendere grasp.