understand
verb (used with object)
to perceive the meaning of; grasp the idea of; comprehend.
have understood
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present perfectof understand.present perfect
Used to describe actions that started in the past and continue into or have direct relevance to the present.
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.
For decades, scientists have understood that directing laser light at certain atoms can cause them to emit extremely short pulses of much higher-frequency light, including X-rays.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 29, 2026
Coastally trapped Kelvin waves have been known to exist for decades, as long as scientists have understood El Niño.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026
That’s something the filmmakers Kazuo Hara and Sachiko Kobayashi seem to have understood since the early 1970s, when they first joined forces—he as director and cinematographer, she as producer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
Few series have understood more clearly that where we eat is often just as revealing as what we eat.
From Salon ● Jun. 30, 2026
Day wouldn’t have understood the concept of immortal cells or HLA markers coming from anyone, accent or not—he’d only gone to school for four years of his life, and he’d never studied science.
From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot
