understanding

[ uhn-der-stan-ding ]

/ ˌʌn dərˈstæn dɪŋ /

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See synonyms for understanding on Thesaurus.com

noun

mental process of a person who comprehends; comprehension; personal interpretation: My understanding of the word does not agree with yours.

intellectual faculties; intelligence; mind: a quick understanding.

superior power of discernment; enlightened intelligence: With her keen understanding she should have become a leader.

knowledge of or familiarity with a particular thing; skill in dealing with or handling something: an understanding of accounting practice.

a state of cooperative or mutually tolerant relations between people: To him, understanding and goodwill were the supreme virtues.

a mutual agreement, especially of a private, unannounced, or tacit kind: They had an understanding about who would do the dishes.

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.

Philosophy.

the power of abstract thought; logical power.
Kantianism. the mental faculty resolving the sensory manifold into the transcendental unity of apperception.

adjective

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

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of understanding

before 1050; Middle English understandynge,late Old English understandincge (noun). See understand, -ing¹, -ing²

OTHER WORDS FROM understanding

un·der·stand·ing·ly, adverbnon·un·der·stand·ing, adjective, nounnon·un·der·stand·ing·ly, adverbself-un·der·stand·ing, noun

Words nearby understanding

underspend, underspin, understaffed, understand, understandable, understanding, understate, understated, understatement, understeer, understock

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use understanding in a sentence

People get an approximate social understanding and that seems to work pretty well.
What if Your Company Had No Rules? (Bonus Episode)|Maria Konnikova|September 12, 2020|Freakonomics
Jalisa Washington-Price, vice president, political and advocacy, iHeartMediaJane Mayer’s book gave me a deep understanding about the problem I wanted to fix.
Book recommendations from Fortune’s 40 under 40 in government and policy|Rachel King|September 10, 2020|Fortune
Then, follow-up with why you grouped the ones that set off the same search results and are part of the same topic, for more understanding.
SEO proposals: Particular challenges and how to avoid getting a silent no|SEOmonitor|September 10, 2020|Search Engine Watch
Although he wasn’t working for the co-op at that time, Miltenberger said, it is his understanding that the hospital wanted to help keep competition in that marketplace.
Only three of 26 Obamacare-era nonprofit health insurance co-ops will soon remain|lbelanger225|September 6, 2020|Fortune

The goal is to develop a deeper understanding of how different approaches work or fall short.
Eight case studies on regulating biometric technology show us a path forward|Karen Hao|September 4, 2020|MIT Technology Review
Nothing made Groucho funnier than having this Margaret Dumont around not understanding the jokes.
Patton Oswalt on Fighting Conservatives With Satire|William O’Connor|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Understanding my own dreams had a lot to do with getting me off the juice.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
As she discussed her understanding of the voting rights campaign and how she planned to recreate it, I grew more relieved.
Dr. King Goes to Hollywood: The Flawed History of ‘Selma’|Gary May|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
My understanding was that according to most Christian beliefs, being trans or gay was a sin, cut and dry.
Dear Leelah, We Will Fight On For You: A Letter to a Dead Trans Teen|Parker Molloy|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Now half-awake, we need all the help we can get in understanding our situation.
American Democracy Under Threat for 250 Years|Jedediah Purdy|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I would ask you to imagine it translated into every language, a common material of understanding throughout all the world.
The Salvaging Of Civilisation|H. G. (Herbert George) Wells
Our social life is aimless without it, we are a crowd without a common understanding.
The Salvaging Of Civilisation|H. G. (Herbert George) Wells
The hopes of a man that is void of understanding are vain and deceitful: and dreams lift up fools.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
The friars were exceedingly wroth, and combined to defeat the Generalʼs efforts to come to an understanding with the rebels.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman
The two enjoyed a mutual understanding from which he was excluded, a private intimacy that was spiritual, mental,— physical.
The Wave|Algernon Blackwood

British Dictionary definitions for understanding

understanding

/ (ˌʌndəˈstændɪŋ) /

noun

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

personal opinion or interpretation of a subjectmy understanding of your predicament

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

mainly British an unofficial engagement to be married

philosophy archaic the mind, esp the faculty of reason

on the understanding that with the condition that; providing

adjective

sympathetic, tolerant, or wise towards people

possessing judgment and intelligence

Derived forms of understanding

understandingly, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

understanding

Origin of understanding

OTHER WORDS FROM understanding

Words nearby understanding

Words related to understanding

How to use understanding in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for understanding

Derived forms of understanding