understood

American  

[uhn-der-stood] / ˌʌn dərˈstʊd /

verb

1. simple past tense and past participle of understand.

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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.”

understood British  

/ ˌʌndəˈstʊd /

verb

1. the past tense and past participle of understand

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adjective

1. implied or inferred

2. taken for granted; assumed

Other Word Forms

• half-understood adjective
• nonunderstood adjective
• self-understood adjective
• well-understood adjective

Etymology

Origin of understood

First recorded in 1600–10, for the adjective

Example Sentences

FDA reviewers would have understood all this had they consulted melanoma doctors who tell us the RP1 rejection makes no sense and will cost thousands of lives.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026

John Sykes from the Rock Hall says in the doc, Billy, that you always understood the importance of the visual.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2026

"Carbon and hydrogen are among the most abundant elements in planetary materials, yet their combined behavior at giant-planet conditions remains far from fully understood," Liu concluded.

From Science Daily • Apr. 21, 2026

Fowler added that she understood the anxiety felt by expectant parents and acknowledged the importance of listening to healthcare regulators and the community.

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026

No one did get Twitch’s meaning exactly, but they all understood that there was now a larger group of friends, which left everyone feeling a buzz of excitement for the possibilities that might follow.

From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el