cannot fully comprehend

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "cannot fully comprehend" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when expressing difficulty in understanding something completely or thoroughly. Example: "Despite my efforts to study the material, I cannot fully comprehend the complex theories presented in the textbook."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

17 human-written examples

At age 6, Elian clearly cannot fully comprehend the issues swirling about him, and using him as a propaganda instrument is offensive.

The New York Times

Most assignments in historical thrillers are futile: readers know what's coming, while those characters who suspect the worst cannot fully comprehend the looming cataclysm even as they risk their lives trying to forestall it.

The New York Times - Books

One cannot fully comprehend the actions of Egyptians, Tunisians, Jordanians and others without considering this deep-seated feeling that they have not been allowed to be themselves, that they have been robbed of their identities.

The Guardian - Opinion

He concludes that we cannot fully comprehend the contours and valences of culture and religion in America without understanding how this racialized class prejudice shapes the views of the dominant class toward immigrants and other marginal groups.

Columbia University

In the case of Tchaikovsky, his inner longings, which we cannot fully comprehend without studying the realities of his life, had a bearing on the striking and peculiar emotional poignancy of his music, which today is either extolled or else berated as sentimentalism.

The New York Times - Magazine

But even here, his thoughts seldom stray far from the Germany that he covered in the 1930's and 40's as a radio correspondent for CBS and that he chronicled in 1941 in his first book, "Berlin Diary". Much of this new memoir consists of meditations on the great evil he had witnessed in his youth, the enormity of which he still cannot fully comprehend.

The New York Times - Books

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

43 human-written examples

He cannot enter or fully comprehend Catherine's world; her steady boyfriend, a mediocre sitar player, comes closer and is spat out.

The Economist

By the beginning of the twenty-first century, our ability to modify the smallest components of life through molecular biology had endowed humans with a power that even those who exercise it most proficiently cannot claim to fully comprehend.

The New Yorker

Without a fern genome, one cannot expect to fully comprehend the processes that govern the evolution of plant genes and genomes, and the patterns underlying major evolutionary transitions in land plants will remain elusive [ 1].

GigaScience

Health cannot be fully comprehended and the goal of medicine cannot be achieved, if a physician does not comprehend all the parst of a human body and their nature, composition, purpose, and function.

SEP

That paradox cannot be fully comprehended without hearing the kind of individual voices included here.

The New York Times - Books

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Consider the audience and adjust the complexity of your language. If the subject is already complex, simpler language will improve overall comprehension.

Common error

Avoid using "cannot fully comprehend" when a simpler phrase like "don't understand" suffices. Overusing the phrase can make your writing sound unnecessarily verbose or dramatic.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "cannot fully comprehend" functions as a verb phrase expressing a lack of complete understanding. As Ludwig AI shows, it indicates an inability to grasp the entirety of a concept or situation.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

52%

Science

26%

Academia

11%

Less common in

Formal & Business

6%

Wiki

5%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "cannot fully comprehend" is a common and grammatically correct way to express a lack of complete understanding. As Ludwig AI confirms, this phrase is suitable for various contexts, including News & Media, Science, and Academia. While alternatives like "unable to fully grasp" or "fail to completely understand" exist, "cannot fully comprehend" offers a specific nuance of struggling with complexity. When using this phrase, ensure clarity by providing context and avoiding overuse to maintain a natural writing style. It's important to acknowledge the limits of understanding in certain situations, and "cannot fully comprehend" serves as a valuable tool for expressing that.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

unable to fully grasp

Emphasizes a difficulty in seizing or understanding the concept, suggesting a struggle with comprehension.

fail to completely understand

Highlights a failure to reach full understanding, implying a lack of success in the comprehension process.

not able to entirely fathom

Implies a deeper, more profound level of incomprehension, suggesting a mystery or complexity that resists understanding.

struggle to fully appreciate

Shifts the focus to appreciation, suggesting a difficulty in recognizing the full value or significance of something.

lack a complete understanding

Directly states the absence of complete knowledge, emphasizing the deficiency in understanding.

find it hard to fully conceive

Focuses on the difficulty in forming a mental image or idea, highlighting the challenge in envisioning the concept.

cannot quite get my head around

An idiomatic expression indicating a difficulty in understanding or accepting something.

not in a position to fully understand

Highlights the situation that makes it impossible to understand something.

only partially understand

Stresses that the understanding is incomplete.

not have a full appreciation of

Highlights that it is difficult to estimate or value something properly.

FAQs

How can I use "cannot fully comprehend" in a sentence?

You can use "cannot fully comprehend" to express a lack of complete understanding. For example, "I "cannot fully comprehend" the implications of this decision."

What are some alternatives to "cannot fully comprehend"?

Alternatives include "unable to fully grasp", "fail to completely understand", or "not able to entirely fathom", depending on the context.

Is it better to say "cannot fully comprehend" or "do not understand"?

"Cannot fully comprehend" implies a deeper level of complexity or difficulty than "do not understand". Choose the phrase that best reflects the degree of incomprehension you want to convey. The second is simpler and more direct.

What's the difference between "cannot fully comprehend" and "partially understand"?

"Cannot fully comprehend" means lacking complete understanding, while "partially understand" suggests some understanding, but not a complete one.