# prehension

> English word · Noun · IPA /prɪˈhɛnʃən/

## Definitions
1. The act of grasping or gripping, especially with the hands.
2. According to Alfred North Whitehead, a type of universally acting perception that is not limited to living, self-conscious beings, and which involves an interconnectedness of the observer and the observed.

## Etymology
Borrowed from Latin prehensio, prehensionis. Doublet of prison.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/prehension