Showing results for "understanding"

• present participle of understand.

understanding

American  

[uhn-der-stan-ding] / ˌʌn dərˈstæn dɪŋ /

noun

• understanding
  plural

1. 

   mental process of a person who comprehends; comprehension; personal interpretation.

   My understanding of the word does not agree with yours.

2. intellectual faculties; intelligence; mind.

   a quick understanding.

3. superior power of discernment; enlightened intelligence.

   With her keen understanding she should have become a leader.

4. knowledge of or familiarity with a particular thing; skill in dealing with or handling something.

   an understanding of accounting practice.

5. a state of cooperative or mutually tolerant relations between people.

   To him, understanding and goodwill were the supreme virtues.

6. a mutual agreement, especially of a private, unannounced, or tacit kind.

   They had an understanding about who would do the dishes.

7. an agreement regulating joint activity or settling differences, often informal or preliminary in character.

   After hours of negotiation, no understanding on a new contract was reached.

8. Philosophy.

   1. the power of abstract thought; logical power.

   2. Kantianism. the mental faculty resolving the sensory manifold into the transcendental unity of apperception.

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adjective

1. characterized by understanding; prompted by, based on, or demonstrating comprehension, intelligence, discernment, empathy, or the like.

   an understanding attitude.

understanding British  

/ ˌʌndəˈstændɪŋ /

noun

1. the ability to learn, judge, make decisions, etc; intelligence or sense

2. personal opinion or interpretation of a subject

   my understanding of your predicament

3. a mutual agreement or compact, esp an informal or private one

4. an unofficial engagement to be married

5. archaic philosophy the mind, esp the faculty of reason

6. with the condition that; providing

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adjective

1. sympathetic, tolerant, or wise towards people

2. possessing judgment and intelligence

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• self-understanding
  noun
• nonunderstanding
  adjective
• nonunderstandingly
  adverb
• understandingly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• understanding
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of understanding

First recorded before 1050; understand + -ing ¹ ( def. )

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Explanation

To be understanding is to be sympathetic to someone’s woes. Understanding a concept means you get it. Your understanding might be that your mother will always drive you to school if you miss the bus. The sum of your knowledge of a certain topic, is your understanding of it. This can change, or deepen as you learn more. But being an understanding person doesn't take a lot of studying — it takes opening your heart to appreciate what someone else feels or experiences. If someone says to you, "I thought we had an understanding," you must have done something unexpected. Here, understanding means "an agreement."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

understanding

“It was looking at that check and then really understanding what $3 million was.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

While many commissioners supported the idea, commission staff said the benchmark was too stringent to employ without understanding how the new sand placement will fare over the next few months or years.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026

"But the pathway is intact in fish. So picking the right alternative model was critical to advancing our understanding of how the human body responds."

From Science Daily ● Nov. 5, 2026

Nevertheless, understanding the income bands where one tax rate ends and another begins is important for tax planning — especially when everyone’s looking to get the most out of their money right now.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 5, 2026

“Constance, can’t you be more understanding? I’ve business to attend to. Men’s business. And the club’s accommodations are far more suitable for that sort of thing than this ridiculous frou-frou of a house, what?”

From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood

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Related Words

• conclusion
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• impression
• interpretation
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• sense
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• view

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