Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Understand
Unˊder-stand′
(ŭnˊdẽr-stănd′)
, Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Understood
(ŭnˊdẽr-stoŏd′)
, and Archaic
Understanded
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Understanding
.] 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. Speaketh [i. e., speak thou] so plain at this time, I you pray,
That we may
That we may
understande
what ye say. Chaucer.
I
understand
not what you mean by this. Shakespeare
Understood
not all was but a show. Milton.
A tongue not
understanded
of the people. Bk. of Com. Prayer.
2.
To be apprised, or have information, of; to learn; to be informed of; to hear;
as, I
. understand
that Congress has passed the bill3.
To recognize or hold as being or signifying; to suppose to mean; to interpret; to explain.
The most learned interpreters
understood
the words of sin, and not of Abel. Locke.
4.
To mean without expressing; to imply tacitly; to take for granted; to assume.
War, then, war,
Open or
Open or
understood
, must be resolved. Milton.
5.
To stand under; to support.
[Jocose & R.]
Shak.
To give one to understand
, to cause one to know.
– To make one’s self understood
, to make one's meaning clear.
Unˊder-stand′
,Verb.
I.
1.
To have the use of the intellectual faculties; to be an intelligent being.
Imparadised in you, in whom alone
I
I
understand
, and grow, and see. Donne.
2.
To be informed; to have or receive knowledge.
I came to Jerusalem, and
understood
of the evil that Eliashib did for Tobiah. Neh. xiii. 7.
Webster 1828 Edition
Understand
UNDERSTAND'
,Verb.
T.
1.
To have just and adequate ideas of; to comprehend; to know; as, to understand a problem in Euclid; to understand a proposition or a declaration.2.
To have the same ideas as the person who speaks, or the ideas which a person intends to communicate. I understood the preacher; the court perfectly understand the advocate or his argument.3.
To receive or have the ideas expressed or intended to be conveyed in a writing or book; to know the meaning. It is important that we should understand the sacred oracles.4.
To know the meaning or signs, or of anything intended to convey ideas; as, to understand a nod, a wink, or a motion.5.
To suppose to mean.The most learned interpreters understood the words of sin, and not of Abel.
6.
To know by experience.7.
To know by instinct.-Amorous intent, well understood.
8.
To interpret, at least mentally.9.
To know another's meaning.10.
To hold in opinion with conviction.11.
To mean without expressing.War then, war, open or understood must be resolv'd.
12.
To know what is not expressed.I bring them to receive from thee their names, and pay thee fealty with low subjection; understand the same of fish.
13.
To learn; to be informed. I understand that congress have passed the bill.UNDERSTAND'
, v.i.1.
To have the use of the intellectual faculties; to be an intelligent and conscious being.All my soul be imparadis'd in you, in whom alone I understand, and grow, and see.
2.
To be informed by another; to learn.I understood of the evil that Eliashib did. Neh. 13.
Definition 2024
understand
understand
English
Alternative forms
- understaund (obsolete)
Verb
understand (third-person singular simple present understands, present participle understanding, simple past and past participle understood)
- (transitive) To be aware of the meaning of.
- I understand German.
- I received your note, but I did not understand it.
- William Shakespeare (1564-1616)
- I understand not what you mean by this.
- 2013 June 14, Sam Leith, “Where the profound meets the profane”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 1, page 37:
- Swearing doesn't just mean what we now understand by "dirty words". It is entwined, in social and linguistic history, with the other sort of swearing: vows and oaths.
- To believe, based on information.
- I understand that you have information for me.
- 1963, Margery Allingham, “Foreword”, in The China Governess:
- ‘I understand that the district was considered a sort of sanctuary,’ the Chief was saying. ‘An Alsatia like the ancient one behind the Strand, or the Saffron Hill before the First World War. […]’
- To impute meaning, character etc. that is not explicitly stated.
- But we cannot disappoint Grandma and Grandpa Smith, and that is what family is all about! Do you understand?!
- In this sense, the word is usually used in the past participle:
- In the imperative mood, the word “you” is usually understood.
- John Locke (1632-1705)
- The most learned interpreters understood the words of sin, and not of Abel.
- 1893, Walter Besant, The Ivory Gate, Prologue:
- 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.
- (obsolete, rare, humorous) To stand under; to support.
- (Can we find and add a quotation of Shakespeare to this entry?)
Usage notes
- Common objects of this verb include text, word(s), sentence(s), note(s), etc.
- Rarely, the obsolete past tense form understanded may be found, e.g. in the Book of Common Prayer and Thirty-nine Articles of the Anglican Church.
Synonyms
- (to know the meaning): apprehend, comprehend, grasp, know, perceive, pick up what someone is putting down, realise, grok
- (to believe): believe
Antonyms
Derived terms
Derived terms
Translations
to be aware of the meaning of
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to believe, based on information
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to impute meaning, character etc. that is not explicitly stated
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