understand
Americanverb (used with object)
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to perceive the meaning of; grasp the idea of; comprehend.
to understand Spanish; I didn't understand your question.
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to be thoroughly familiar with; apprehend clearly the character, nature, or subtleties of.
to understand a trade.
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to assign a meaning to; interpret.
He understood her suggestion as a complaint.
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to grasp the significance, implications, or importance of.
He does not understand responsibility.
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to regard as firmly communicated; take as agreed or settled.
I understand that you will repay this loan in 30 days.
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to learn or hear.
I understand that you are going out of town.
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to accept as true; believe.
I understand that you are trying to be truthful, but you are wrong.
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to construe in a particular way.
You are to understand the phrase literally.
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to supply mentally (something that is not expressed).
verb (used without object)
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to perceive what is meant; grasp the information conveyed.
She told them about it in simple words, hoping they would understand.
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to accept tolerantly or sympathetically.
If you can't do it, I'll understand.
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to have knowledge or background, as on a particular subject.
He understands about boats.
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to have a systematic interpretation or rationale, as in a field or area of knowledge.
He can repeat every rule in the book, but he just doesn't understand.
verb
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(may take a clause as object) to know and comprehend the nature or meaning of
I understand you
I understand what you mean
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(may take a clause as object) to realize or grasp (something)
he understands your position
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(tr; may take a clause as object) to assume, infer, or believe
I understand you are thinking of marrying
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(tr) to know how to translate or read
can you understand Spanish?
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(tr; may take a clause as object; often passive) to accept as a condition or proviso
it is understood that children must be kept quiet
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(tr) to be sympathetic to or compatible with
we understand each other
Usage
What are other ways to say understand? To understand something is to be thoroughly familiar with it, or to apprehend clearly its character, nature, or subtleties. How is understand different from know and comprehend? Find out on Thesaurus.com.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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understandsimple
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understandssimple
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have understoodperfect
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has understoodperfect
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am understandingprogressive
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are understandingprogressive
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is understandingprogressive
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have been understandingperfect progressive
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has been understandingperfect progressive
Past
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understoodsimple
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had understoodperfect
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was understandingprogressive
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were understandingprogressive
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had been understandingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of understand
First recorded before 900; Middle English understanden, understonden, Old English understondan; cognate with Dutch onderstaan. See under-, stand
Explanation
To understand something is to comprehend or get it. The more we learn, the more we understand. The goal of most education is to help students understand how the world works: history, math, English, music, science, and art are all complicated subjects that you need to practice and think about before you can really understand them. Understanding requires knowledge and thought. Another kind of understanding is like sympathy. For example, you might not approve of stealing, but you could understand why a guy would steal to feed his family.
Vocabulary lists containing understand
TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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"Kids Like Me: Voices of the Immigrant Experience"
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Foundational Reading
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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.
See Examples For:
"If we don't understand what climate change, ocean warming or acidification does to coral ecosystems, there is a chance we're going to lose them," Ravasi said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
"Wimbledon has understood one of the biggest shifts in global marketing. For decades, premium brands believed exclusivity came from distance. However, today they understand that exclusivity comes from belonging," says Bhalla.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
Bilton said the correspondents and contributors will carry on the program’s “tradition of fearless, independent and impartial reporting” and said the new hires are “entrepreneurial journalists who understand how to reach modern audiences.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
To understand how a court talks itself into that, you have to appreciate how little law there is to stop it.
From Slate ● Jul. 28, 2026
Now I understand what Nate tried to warn me about.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
“Although we’ve moved on since that point, I think there still is a question mark in investors’ minds as to whether Masino understands the Cracker Barrel business intimately.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
She understands that children in dense districts face some of the steepest challenges to accessing outdoor play.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
Dennis Dahmer, who is 73, similarly understands the stakes of what the court has done by rolling back key protections the VRA established.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
“My hope is that the court understands Jesse was more than a victim,” Jimenez’s niece, who did not wish to be named, wrote in an impact statement.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
As we near the police cars, Mr. Doyle starts to nod as though he understands what is going on.
From "A Step from Heaven" by An Na
"Wimbledon has understood one of the biggest shifts in global marketing. For decades, premium brands believed exclusivity came from distance. However, today they understand that exclusivity comes from belonging," says Bhalla.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
My mother, an excellent cook, understood repetition better.
From Salon ● Jul. 28, 2026
They appear to have understood that elephant bone offered advantages over more widely available animal bones.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 27, 2026
It is understood that Martinelli, who has up to two years left on his contract, is happy at Arsenal and will only consider leaving for an opportunity that suits him.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
But the two celebrities had more in common than most people understood.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
A Tigers spokesperson told The Times on Tuesday that the team’s understanding is that the squirrel was in “fine health” after it was removed and released.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
Reacting to the forecast, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said: "I ask for understanding and call on all citizens in all the country to exercise extreme caution and take every possible precaution."
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
When Iran and the US signed a memorandum of understanding in June to halt military operations and reopen the strait, the price of oil fell back to pre-war levels of around $70 a barrel.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
The growing understanding of the mouth-body connection is also leading to new diagnostic tools, prevention strategies and treatments.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
Because it was well recorded, both in film and in eyewitness accounts, volcanologists gained an understanding of what a blast from the side of a volcano, rather than from its top, might do.
From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone
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.
