understood

[uhn-der-stood]

verb

1. simple past tense and past participle of understand.

adjective

1. agreed upon; known in advance; assented to.

   It is the understood policy of this establishment to limit credit.

2. implied but not stated; left unexpressed.

   The understood meaning of a danger sign is “Do not approach.”

understood

/ ˌʌndəˈstʊd /

verb

1. the past tense and past participle of understand

adjective

1. implied or inferred

2. taken for granted; assumed

Other Word Forms

• half-understood adjective
• nonunderstood adjective
• self-understood adjective
• well-understood adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of understood¹

First recorded in 1600–10, for the adjective

Example Sentences

Until now, scientists understood brown fat’s heat production mainly through mitochondria, the energy centers of cells.

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He understood, as he sang in “Ring of Fire,” that love could be painful as well as pleasant and that either way it was redemptive.

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But the industry was rapidly changing, and Dombrowski understood that if he wanted to stay relevant, he would have to evolve.

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The ability to tweak the course to its liking is typically understood as one of the key reasons the home side has the edge in Ryder Cups.

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“When he signed his extension, I think he understood that with that comes a little bit of extra responsibility to the organization, to the city, to the country,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said.

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