understandable
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of understandable
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English: originally, “capable of understanding”; understand + -able
Explanation
Something understandable can be understood or grasped. It makes sense. Since understanding something means you comprehend or get it, when things are understandable, they can be perceived or fathomed. If a friend cancels plans to see a movie because he's sick, that's understandable. Leaving one job for a better paying job is understandable. Eating a lot of cake on your birthday is understandable. Understandable things are easy to grasp and no one is likely to doubt or question them. The opposite of understandable would be weird, odd, or inexplicable.
Vocabulary lists containing understandable
-able, -ible
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-able, -ible
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-able, -ible
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"We're over 50% down in turnover, which is understandable, but really appreciate a lot of our customers who have shown tremendous loyalty and made the effort to come," he said.
From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026
That said, the confusion is understandable, given the amount of hand-wringing over dating recessions and falling birth rates we regularly hear about.
From Salon • Jun. 3, 2026
There is understandable concern about an explosion as one of the possible outcomes.
From Los Angeles Times • May 24, 2026
The spokesperson said it’s understandable for reporters to ask questions about the conflicts, “but out of fairness, it should be juxtaposed by the fact that there’s been no indication of favorable treatment.”
From MarketWatch • May 18, 2026
This understandable misconception arises from the fact that — unlike other chlorinated hydrocarbons — DDT in powder form is not readily absorbed through the skin.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
