understand

[uhn-der-stand] /ˌʌn dərˈstænd/
verb (used with object), understood, understanding.
1.
to perceive the meaning of; grasp the idea of; comprehend:
to understand Spanish; I didn't understand your question.
2.
to be thoroughly familiar with; apprehend clearly the character, nature, or subtleties of:
to understand a trade.
3.
to assign a meaning to; interpret:
He understood her suggestion as a complaint.
4.
to grasp the significance, implications, or importance of:
He does not understand responsibility.
5.
to regard as firmly communicated; take as agreed or settled:
I understand that you will repay this loan in 30 days.
6.
to learn or hear:
I understand that you are going out of town.
7.
to accept as true; believe:
I understand that you are trying to be truthful, but you are wrong.
8.
to construe in a particular way:
You are to understand the phrase literally.
9.
to supply mentally (something that is not expressed).
verb (used without object), understood, understanding.
10.
to perceive what is meant; grasp the information conveyed:
She told them about it in simple words, hoping they would understand.
11.
to accept tolerantly or sympathetically:
If you can't do it, I'll understand.
12.
to have knowledge or background, as on a particular subject:
He understands about boats.
13.
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.
Origin
before 900; Middle English understanden, understonden, Old English understondan; cognate with Dutch onderstaan. See under-, stand
Related forms
preunderstand, verb, preunderstood, preunderstanding.
Synonyms
1. See know1 .
Examples from the web for understand
  • Blind people can easily comprehend speech that is sped up far beyond the maximum rate that sighted people can understand.
  • In terms of humans being a credit to the planet, it is important to understand that there is nothing natural about a garden.
  • There, with residents running their dogs along the dunes, it's easy to understand how such natural opulence fuels inspiration.
  • It may take some time for folks to understand the environmental and medical repercussions of wood burning smoke.
  • If you wish to understand others look into your own heart.
  • They wouldn't understand and they don't deserve to understand.
  • He has lost the secret of the older devices, and does not understand the new which were about to usurp their place.
  • The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way:.
  • Or perhaps it thinks that only by dangling countries over the abyss will they understand the need to reform.
  • Displaying information can make a difference by enabling people to understand complex matters and find creative solutions.
British Dictionary definitions for understand

understand

/ˌʌndəˈstænd/
verb -stands, -standing, -stood
1.
(may take a clause as object) to know and comprehend the nature or meaning of: I understand you, I understand what you mean
2.
(may take a clause as object) to realize or grasp (something): he understands your position
3.
(transitive; may take a clause as object) to assume, infer, or believe: I understand you are thinking of marrying
4.
(transitive) to know how to translate or read: can you understand Spanish?
5.
(transitive; may take a clause as object; often passive) to accept as a condition or proviso: it is understood that children must be kept quiet
6.
(transitive) to be sympathetic to or compatible with: we understand each other
Derived Forms
understandable, adjective
understandably, adverb
Word Origin
Old English understandan; related to Old Frisian understonda, Middle High German understān step under; see under, stand
Word Origin and History for understand
v.

Old English understandan "comprehend, grasp the idea of," probably literally "stand in the midst of," from under + standan "to stand" (see stand). If this is the meaning, the under is not the usual word meaning "beneath," but from Old English under, from PIE *nter- "between, among" (cf. Sanskrit antar "among, between," Latin inter "between, among," Greek entera "intestines;" see inter-).

That is the suggestion in Barnhart, but other sources regard the "among, between, before, in the presence of" sense of Old English prefix and preposition under as other meanings of the same word. "Among" seems to be the sense in many Old English compounds that resemble understand, e.g. underniman "to receive," undersecan "to investigate," underginnan "to begin." It also seems to be the sense still in expressions such as under such circumstances.

Perhaps the ultimate sense is "be close to," cf. Greek epistamai "I know how, I know," literally "I stand upon." Similar formations are found in Old Frisian (understonda), Middle Danish (understande), while other Germanic languages use compounds meaning "stand before" (cf. German verstehen, represented in Old English by forstanden). For this concept, most Indo-European languages use figurative extensions of compounds that literally mean "put together," or "separate," or "take, grasp" (see comprehend). Old English oferstandan, Middle English overstonden, literally "over-stand" seem to have been used only in literal senses.

Idioms and Phrases with understand

understand

see: give to understand