Definition of understand
- understand Russian
- his behavior is hard to understand
- understand finance
- understands children
- we understand that he is returning from abroad
- "to be married" is commonly understood after the word engaged
I can't understand a word you're saying.
I don't understand these directions.
I want you to stay away from her. Do you understand?
I don't understand how this is supposed to work.
He doesn't really understand the situation.
You should read the book in order to understand more about the subject.
I can't understand why she would do such a thing.
She's beginning to understand what's going on.
You have to understand that I had no other choice.
At first we didn't get along, but I think we understand each other now.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'understand.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use: before 12th century
in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a
See Words from the same yearappreciate, apprehend, assimilate, behold, catch, catch on (to), cognize, compass, comprehend, conceive, cotton (to or on to), decipher, decode, dig, discern, get, grasp, intuit, know, make, make out, perceive, recognize, register, savvy, see, seize, sense, tumble (to), twig;
miss;
misapprehend, misconceive, misconstrue, misinterpret, misperceive, misread, mistake, misunderstand;
pick up on;
: to know the meaning of (something, such as the words that someone is saying or a language)
: to know how (something) works or happens
: to know how (someone) thinks, feels, or behaves
See words that rhyme with understand Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for understand Spanish Central: Translation of understand Nglish: Translation of understand for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of understand for Arabic speakers
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