understood

[ uhn-der-stood ]
See synonyms for understood on Thesaurus.com
verb
  1. simple past tense and past participle of understand.

adjective
  1. agreed upon; known in advance; assented to: It is the understood policy of this establishment to limit credit.

  2. implied but not stated; left unexpressed: The understood meaning of a danger sign is “Do not approach.”

Origin of understood

1
First recorded in 1600–10, for the adjective

Other words from understood

  • half-un·der·stood, adjective
  • non·un·der·stood, adjective
  • self-un·der·stood, adjective
  • well-un·der·stood, adjective

Words Nearby understood

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

How to use understood in a sentence

  • "There is no more war," Brion translated for Ulv, realizing that the Disan had understood nothing of the explanation.

    Sense of Obligation | Henry Maxwell Dempsey (AKA Harry Harrison)
  • A similar state had occurred that 'Karnak night' of a long ten days ago, though he had not understood it then.

    The Wave | Algernon Blackwood
  • No one ever argued with Levison; all understood that this particular phrase was final.

  • She now understood nearly all that was said directly to her, though she could not follow general and confused conversation.

    Ramona | Helen Hunt Jackson
  • “I understood, Baron, that you had quite made up your mind to retire within a very few weeks,” said David Arden.

    Checkmate | Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

British Dictionary definitions for understood

understood

/ (ˌʌndəˈstʊd) /


verb
  1. the past tense and past participle of understand

adjective
  1. implied or inferred

  2. taken for granted; assumed

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