understand
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: enpr: ŭn(′)dər-stănd'
ipa: /ˌʌndəˈstænd/
ipa: /ʌndəˈstænd/
enpr: ŭn′dər-stănd'
ipa: /ˌʌndɚˈstænd/
ipa: [ˌʌɾ̃ɚˈstæ̃nd]
ipa: [ˌʌɾ̃ɚˈsteə̯nd]
ipa: /ˌʌndɚˈsteə̯nd/
ipa: /ˌʌndɚˈstænd/
ipa: /ˌɞndəɹˈstand/
note: Indic
ipa: /əɳɖə(r)ˈsʈaɳɖ/
note: Indic
ipa: /əɳˈɖɜ(r).sʈəɳɖ/
rhymes: -ænd
Forms: form: understands
form: understanding
form: understood
form: understood
form: no-table-tags
form: glossary
form: understand
form: understand
form: understood
form: understand
form: understandest
form: understood
form: understoodest
form: understands
form: understandeth
form: understood
form: understand
form: understood
form: understand
form: understood
form: understand
form: -
form: understanding
form: understood
form: understanded
form: understaund
Etymology: From Middle English understanden, from Old English understandan (“to understand”), from Proto-West Germanic *understandan (“to stand between, understand”), from Proto-Germanic *understandaną (“to stand between, understand”), equivalent to Old English under- (“between, inter-”) + standan (“to stand”) (Modern English under- + stand). Cognate with Old Frisian understonda (“to understand, experience, learn”), Old High German understantan (“to understand”), Middle Danish understande (“to understand”). Compare also Saterland Frisian understunda, unnerstounde (“to dare, survey, measure”), Dutch onderstaan (“to undertake, presume”), German unterstehen (“to be subordinate”).
Senses: examples: text: Can you repeat what you just said? I didn't understand.
text: Thus, when he drew up instructions in lawyer language, he expressed the important words by an initial, a medial, or a final consonant, and made scratches for all the words between; his clerks, however, understood him very well.
ref: 1892, Walter Besant, “Prologue: Who is Edmund Gray?”, in The Ivory Gate […], New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], →OCLC:
text: In reading this book, be very certain you never go past a word you do not fully understand.
ref: 1950, L. Ron Hubbard, Dianetics, New Era Publications, published 1999, →ISBN, →OCLC, page ix:
text: Swearing doesn't just mean what we now understand by "dirty words". It is entwined, in social and linguistic history, with the other sort of swearing: vows and oaths.
ref: 2013 June 14, Sam Leith, “Where the Profound Meets the Profane”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 1, page 37:
text: With his legal maneuverings, Trump is showing that he also understands the implications of this election — one that could give him substantial powers as president to defray or dismiss many of the legal threats that he’s facing and to behave in office without future accountability.
ref: 2024 February 5, Stephen Collinson, “Trump’s legal battles are at a critical moment with major implications for the 2024 election”, in CNN:
qualifier: statements; signs; statements; signs
glosses: To know the meaning of; to parse or have parsed correctly; to comprehend.
raw_tags: of communication or means of communication
examples: text: ‘[…] I came back here, had a wank and finished that book.’
‘The Naked Lunch?’
‘Yeah.’
‘What did you reckon?’
‘Crap.’
‘You’re just saying that because you didn’t understand it,’ said Adrian.
‘I’m just saying that because I did understand it,’ said Tom. ‘Any road up, we’d better start making some toast.[…]’
ref: 1991 September, Stephen Fry, chapter 1, in The Liar, London: Heinemann, →ISBN, section I, page 14:
qualifier: statements; signs; generally; generally
glosses: To know the meaning of; to parse or have parsed correctly; to comprehend.
To know the meaning of.
raw_tags: of communication or means of communication
examples: text: The students understood the assignment.
qualifier: task; profession; task; profession
glosses: To be thoroughly familiar with; to be able to undertake properly.
raw_tags: of a skill
examples: text: I understand that company policy says I can't get a refund, but can you make an exception?
text: There's been no formal declaration, but it's understood that a state of war exists between the two countries
text: “While we continue to believe the original complaint made to OCR was based on inaccurate information, OPS understands the importance for the district to remain in compliance with Title IX regulations in regard to policies, procedures, training, and documentation,” Coates’ statement said.
ref: 2024 November 14, Lauren del Valle, “After suicide of nonbinary teen, DOE finds multiple Title IX violations at Oklahoma school district”, in CNN:
glosses: To comprehend a fact or principle; to regard or come to regard a belief as such.
raw_tags: with clause as object
examples: text: One day you say you love me, the next you ignore me—I don't understand you!
glosses: To know the intent, motives or character of; (of events) to know the causes of or reasons for.
raw_tags: of people
examples: text: I've been given to understand that you have a package for me?
text: At least four people are understood to have been injured.
glosses: To believe or infer, to think one grasps sufficiently despite potentially incomplete knowledge.
examples: text: In the imperative mood, the word “you” is usually understood.
text: ‘I understand that the district was considered a sort of sanctuary,’ the Chief was saying.
ref: 1963, Margery Allingham, “Foreword”, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:
topics: grammar
human-sciences
linguistics
sciences
glosses: To regard as present when not.
examples: text: LAUNE: Ay, and what I do too: look thee, I'll but lean, and my staff understands me.
SPEED: It stands under thee, indeed.
LAUNCE:Why, stand-under and under-stand is all one.
ref: c. 1590–1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene v]:
topics: acrobatics
arts
hobbies
lifestyle
performing-arts
sports
qualifier: obsolete outside circus
glosses: To stand underneath, to support.
Synonyms: sense: to fully grasp a concept
word: apprehend
sense: to fully grasp a concept
word: comprehend
sense: to fully grasp a concept
word: grasp
sense: to fully grasp a concept
word: know
sense: to fully grasp a concept
word: perceive
sense: to fully grasp a concept
word: pick up what someone is putting down
sense: to fully grasp a concept
word: realise
sense: to fully grasp a concept
word: get
sense: to fully grasp a concept
word: compass
sense: to fully grasp a concept
word: conceive
sense: to fully grasp a concept
word: discern
sense: to fully grasp a concept
word: grok
sense: to believe one grasps a concept
word: believe
Derived terms: give someone to understand
I don’t understand
understandable
understander
understanding
understand the assignment
understand trap
understood
you understood