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.
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
In an age of “nepo” accusations and internet dogpiles, it would be completely understandable for Grohl to feel anxious about her album’s reception.
From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026
Yet it’s understandable that the shares are rallying: Not only was Dollar Tree’s quarter marked by broad-based strength, bolstered by healthy comparable sales, but it’s in stark contrast to the previous quarter.
From Barron's • May 28, 2026
It’s understandable for investors to worry about selling their chip holdings too soon, but they should think of it as “trimming” rather than getting out.
From MarketWatch • May 28, 2026
Given all this, it is perhaps understandable that Alexander dreamed instead of going in the other direction—that is, of building a thousand ships and invading Carthage and Italy.
From "Circumference" by Nicholas Nicastro
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.
