understand
Etymology
Synonyms
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Etymology
From Middle English understanden, from Old English understandan, from Proto-West Germanic *understandan, from Proto-Germanic *understandaną, equivalent to Old English under- + standan (Modern English under- + stand).
Pronunciation- (RP) enPR: ŭn(′)dər-stănd', IPA: /(ˌ)ʌndəˈstænd/,
- (America) enPR: ŭn′dər-stănd', IPA: /ˌʌndɚˈstænd/, [ˌʌɾ̃ɚˈstæ̃nd], [ˌʌɾ̃ɚˈsteə̯nd]
- (æ-tensing) IPA: /ˌʌndɚˈsteə̯nd/
- (Canada) IPA: /ˌʌndɚˈstænd/
- (Ireland) IPA: /ˌɞndəɹˈstand/
understand (understands, present participle understanding; simple past and past participle understood)
- (transitive) (of communication or means of communication: words, statements, signs, etc.) To know the meaning of; to parse or have parsed correctly; to comprehend.
- 1892, Walter Besant, “Prologue: Who is Edmund Gray?”, in The Ivory Gate […], New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], →OCLC ↗:
- 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.
- Can you repeat what you just said? I didn't understand.
- (transitive) (generally) To know the meaning of.
- 1991 September, Stephen Fry, chapter 1, in The Liar, London: Heinemann, →ISBN, →OCLC ↗, section I, page 14 ↗:
- ‘[…] 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. […]’
- (transitive) (of a skill, task, profession, etc.) To be thoroughly familiar with; to be able to undertake properly.
- The students understood the assignment.
- (transitive, usually with clause as object) To comprehend a fact or principle; to regard or come to regard a belief as such.
- I understand that company policy says I can't get a refund, but can you make an exception?
- There's been no formal declaration, but it's understood that a state of war exists between the two countries
- (transitive) (of people) To know the intent, motives or character of; (of events) to know the causes of or reasons for.
- One day you say you love me, the next you ignore me—I don't understand you!
- (transitive) To believe, to think one grasps sufficiently despite potentially incomplete knowledge.
- I understand that you have a package for me?
- (transitive, grammar) To regard as present when not.
- In the imperative mood, the word “you” is usually understood.
- 1963, Margery Allingham, “Foreword”, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC ↗:
- ‘I understand that the district was considered a sort of sanctuary,’ the Chief was saying.
- (humorous, rare, obsolete, except in, circus, acrobatics) To stand underneath, to support.
- 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]:
- 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.
- (intransitive) To comprehend or grasp (some particular matter); to have comprehension (in general);
Conjugation of understand
infinitive | (to) understand | ||
---|---|---|---|
present tense | past tense | ||
1st-person singular | understand | understood | |
2nd-person singular | understand, understandest† | understood, understoodest† | |
3rd-person singular | understands, understandeth† | understood | |
plural | understand | ||
subjunctive | understand | understood | |
imperative | understand | — | |
participles | understanding | understood, understanded† |
†Archaic or obsolete.
- (to fully grasp a concept) apprehend, comprehend, grasp, know, perceive, pick up what someone is putting down, realise, grok
- (to believe one grasps a concept) believe
- French: comprendre
- German: verstehen, begreifen
- Italian: capire, comprendere, intendere
- Portuguese: compreender, entender, perceber
- Russian: понима́ть
- Spanish: entender, comprender, coger
- German: den Eindruck haben, glauben
- Italian: intendere
- Portuguese: acreditar
- Russian: понима́ть
- Spanish: entender
- German: verstehen
- Italian: ritenere, credere
- Portuguese: compreender
- Russian: понима́ть
- Spanish: comprender
This text is extracted from the Wiktionary and it is available under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license | Terms and conditions | Privacy policy 0.006
