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Dictionary / understand

understand

/ˌʌndəˈstænd/ (Received-Pronunciation, UK)/ˌʌndəˈstand/ (British, Southern, Standard)/ˌʊndəˈstand/ (Northern-England, UK)syllables: un·der·stand
  • verb
  • interjection
  • from Old English

To know the meaning of; to parse or have parsed correctly; to comprehend.

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1 All current definitions

Every sense of “understand” in current use, as recorded by Wiktionary. Older and obsolete senses are kept separately.

verb

  1. intransitivetransitiveusuallyTo know the meaning of; to parse or have parsed correctly; to comprehend.

    Can you repeat what you just said? I didn't understand.

  2. To know the meaning of; to parse or have parsed correctly; to comprehend.intransitivetransitiveusuallyTo know the meaning of.
  3. transitiveusuallyTo be thoroughly familiar with; to be able to undertake properly.

    The students understood the assignment.

  4. transitiveusuallyTo 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?

  5. transitiveTo 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!

  6. transitiveTo believe or infer, to think one grasps sufficiently despite potentially incomplete knowledge.

    I've been given to understand that you have a package for me?

  7. transitiveTo regard as present when not.

    In the imperative mood, the word “you” is usually understood.

  8. humorousrareTo stand underneath, to support.

    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.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 1

Wiktionary: “understand” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

interjection

  1. MalaysiaSingaporeUh-huh, I see; a way to acknowledge something said by the other speaker.
Wiktionary: “understand” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0
Cross-check: WordNet senses (5)
  1. verbknow and comprehend the nature or meaning of
  2. verbperceive (an idea or situation) mentally — also: realize, realise, see
  3. verbmake sense of a language — also: read, interpret, translate
  4. verbbelieve to be the case — also: infer
  5. verbbe understanding of — also: sympathize, sympathise, empathize, empathise
Princeton WordNet 3.0 — WordNet License

Synonyms: apprehend, comprehend, grasp, know, perceive, pick up what someone is putting down, realise, get, compass, conceive, discern, grok

Antonyms: misunderstand

Wiktionary: “understand” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

2 History of the word

The etymology, the path the word travelled, and the words built from it.

The word’s journey, newest to oldest:

  1. English (today)understand
  2. Middle Englishunderstanden
  3. Old Englishunderstandan “to understand”
  4. Proto-West Germanic*understandan “to stand between, understand”
  5. Proto-Germanic*understandaną “to stand between, understand”

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”).

Wiktionary: “understand” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

Derivatives — words built from “understand”

overstandreunderstandunderdigunderstandabilityunderstandableunderstanderunderstandingunderstood

Phrases & compounds

do you understandgive someone to understandI don’t understandunderstand the assignmentunderstand trapyou understood

Related terms

explainwhy
Wiktionary: “understand” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

Want to go deeper? See also “understand” on Etymonline ↗

3 Original language

Where “understand” came from before it was English.

Native English word, from
Old English
Old English understandan “to understand”
Deepest root (reconstructed)
Proto-Germanic
Proto-Germanic *understandaną “to stand between, understand”
Wiktionary: “understand” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

4 Original meaning

What the word meant at the oldest point the record reaches.

Reconstructed Proto-Germanic root
“to stand between, understand”
Proto-Germanic *understandaną — rebuilt by linguists from its descendants; never written down.
Wiktionary: “understand” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

Historical meaning — Webster’s 1913

A historical record, labelled as such: some of these senses are dated or have since shifted.

understand v. t. [OE. understanden, AS. understandan, literally, to stand under; cf. AS. forstandan to understand, G. verstehen. The development of sense is not clear. See Under, and Stand.]

  1. To have just and adequate ideas of; to apprehended the meaning or intention of; to have knowledge of; to comprehend; to know; as, to understand a problem in Euclid; to understand a proposition or a declaration; the court understands the advocate or his argument; to understand the sacred oracles; to understand a nod or a wink.
  2. To be apprised, or have information, of; to learn; to be informed of; to hear; as, I understand that Congress has passed the bill.
  3. To recognize or hold as being or signifying; to suppose to mean; to interpret; to explain.
  4. To mean without expressing; to imply tacitly; to take for granted; to assume.

understand v. i.

  1. To have the use of the intellectual faculties; to be an intelligent being.
  2. To be informed; to have or receive knowledge.
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), public domain, via GCIDE

5 Use it with confidence

Model sentences from the sources, matched to the meaning they show. Read each one aloud, then make your own in the game.

verbMeaning: To know the meaning of; to parse or have parsed correctly; to comprehend.

Can you repeat what you just said? I didn't understand.

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.1892, Walter Besant, “Prologue: Who is Edmund Gray?”, in The Ivory Gate […], New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], →OCLC:

verbMeaning: To be thoroughly familiar with; to be able to undertake properly.

The students understood the assignment.

verbMeaning: 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

verbMeaning: 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!

verbMeaning: To believe or infer, to think one grasps sufficiently despite potentially incomplete knowledge.

I've been given to understand that you have a package for me?

At least four people are understood to have been injured.

verbMeaning: To regard as present when not.

In the imperative mood, the word “you” is usually understood.

‘I understand that the district was considered a sort of sanctuary,’ the Chief was saying.1963, Margery Allingham, “Foreword”, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:

verbMeaning: know and comprehend the nature or meaning of

She did not understand her husband

I understand what she means

verbMeaning: perceive (an idea or situation) mentally

I don't understand the idea

verbMeaning: make sense of a language

She understands French

verbMeaning: believe to be the case

I understand you have no previous experience?

Princeton WordNet 3.0 — WordNet License
Wiktionary: “understand” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

Three steps to owning it

  1. Pick one meaning above and read its model sentence out loud.
  2. Say who or what the word is about in your own life, then build a sentence around that.
  3. Check it against the definition: would a careful reader understand exactly that meaning?

6 The mastery game

Play it here, or print it and do it with pen and paper. At the end you will know the meanings, history, origin and original meaning — and you will have used the word yourself.

Step 1 of 10

Say it, then spell it

understand

/ˌʌndəˈstænd/ · un·der·stand

Say the word out loud three times, slowly. Notice the stressed syllable. When you are ready, hide it and spell it from memory.

Activate Words · Word-mastery worksheet · Name: ______________________ Date: __________

understand

/ˌʌndəˈstænd/ · un·der·stand · verb, interjection

Step 1 — Say it and write it

Say “understand” out loud three times. Then cover the word and write it three times from memory.

Step 2 — Know every meaning

Read each definition. Then write it again in your own words.

1. (verb) To know the meaning of; to parse or have parsed correctly; to comprehend.
2. (verb) To know the meaning of.
3. (verb) To be thoroughly familiar with; to be able to undertake properly.
4. (verb) To comprehend a fact or principle; to regard or come to regard a belief as such.
5. (verb) To know the intent, motives or character of; (of events) to know the causes of or reasons for.

Step 3 — Which meaning is it?

“Can you repeat what you just said? I didn't understand.”

A. To know the meaning of; to parse or have parsed correctly; to comprehend.
B. To comprehend a fact or principle; to regard or come to regard a belief as such.
C. To believe or infer, to think one grasps sufficiently despite potentially incomplete knowledge.

Circle the meaning used.

“The students understood the assignment.”

A. To regard as present when not.
B. To know the meaning of.
C. To be thoroughly familiar with; to be able to undertake properly.

Circle the meaning used.

“I understand that company policy says I can't get a refund, but can you make an exception?”

A. To know the intent, motives or character of; (of events) to know the causes of or reasons for.
B. To comprehend a fact or principle; to regard or come to regard a belief as such.
C. To be thoroughly familiar with; to be able to undertake properly.

Circle the meaning used.

Step 4 — History and origin

Which language did “understand” come into English from?   A. Middle Dutch  B. Old French  C. French  D. Old English

Write the word’s journey back in time (each language and form):

Write three words built from “understand” and what each means:

Step 5 — Original meaning

The earliest traceable form is Proto-Germanic *understandaną. What did it mean?

How does that original meaning connect to the meanings today?

Step 6 — Use it yourself

Write a sentence using “understand” to mean: To know the meaning of; to parse or have parsed correctly; to comprehend.
Write a sentence using “understand” to mean: To know the meaning of.
Write a sentence using “understand” to mean: To be thoroughly familiar with; to be able to undertake properly.

☐ I can explain its meanings   ☐ I know its history   ☐ I know its original language   ☐ I know its original meaning   ☐ I can use it confidently

Answer key — understand

Which meaning, sentence 1: A. To know the meaning of; to parse or have parsed correctly; to comprehend.

Which meaning, sentence 2: C. To be thoroughly familiar with; to be able to undertake properly.

Which meaning, sentence 3: B. To comprehend a fact or principle; to regard or come to regard a belief as such.

Origin: D. Old English (Old English understandan)

Journey: English understand ← Middle English understanden ← Old English understandan ← Proto-West Germanic *understandan ← Proto-Germanic *understandaną

Some derivatives: overstand, reunderstand, underdig, understandability, understandable, understander, understanding, understood

Original meaning: Proto-Germanic *understandaną — “to stand between, understand”

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”).

Sources: Wiktionary “understand” (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/understand#English), CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org; Princeton WordNet 3.0; Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913, public domain) via GCIDE. Worksheet from https://activatewords.com/w/understand