understand
[ uhn-der-stand ]
/ ˌʌn dərˈstænd /
verb (used with object), un·der·stood, un·der·stand·ing.
verb (used without object), un·der·stood, un·der·stand·ing.
Origin of understand
SYNONYMS FOR understand
1 See
know1.
OTHER WORDS FROM understand
pre·un·der·stand, verb, pre·un·der·stood, pre·un·der·stand·ing.Words nearby understand
undersoil,
undersparred,
underspend,
underspin,
understaffed,
understand,
understandable,
understanding,
understate,
understated,
understatement
British Dictionary definitions for preunderstanding
understand
/ (ˌʌndəˈstænd) /
verb -stands, -standing or -stood
(may take a clause as object)
to know and comprehend the nature or meaning of
I understand you; I understand what you mean
(may take a clause as object)
to realize or grasp (something)
he understands your position
(tr; may take a clause as object)
to assume, infer, or believe
I understand you are thinking of marrying
(tr)
to know how to translate or read
can you understand Spanish?
(tr; may take a clause as object; often passive)
to accept as a condition or proviso
it is understood that children must be kept quiet
(tr)
to be sympathetic to or compatible with
we understand each other
Derived forms of understand
understandable, adjective understandably, adverbWord Origin for understand
Old English
understandan; related to Old Frisian
understonda, Middle High German
understān step under; see
under,
stand
Idioms and Phrases with preunderstanding
understand
see give to understand.