Etymology : Middle English, from Old English understandan, from under + standan to stand
Pronunciation : "&n-d&r-stand
Function : verb
Date : before 12th century
1. grasp the meaning of (e.g. words); comprehend (a cause, reason, motivation, etc.); deduce, infer, perceive the implications of; be thoroughly knowledgeable about; accept as true. understand\un`der*stand"\, v. i.
2. to have the use of the intellectual faculties; to be an intelligent being. imparadised in you, in whom alone i understand, and grow, and see:
3. to be informed; to have or receive knowledge. i came to jerusalem, and understood of the evil that eliashib did for tobiah. xiii. 7.understand \un`der*stand"\ (ŭn`d&etilde;r*stănd"), v. t. [imp. & p. p. understood , and archaic understanded; p. pr. & vb. n. understanding.] [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.].
4. 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 understande what ye say. i understand not what you mean by this. understood not all was but a show. a tongue not understanded of the people. of com. prayer.
5. to be apprised, or have information, of; to learn; to be informed of; to hear; as, i understand that congress has passed the bill.
6. 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.
7. to mean without expressing; to imply tacitly; to take for granted; to assume. war, then, war, open or understood, must be resolved.
8. to stand under; to support. [jocose & r.].
9. 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.
10. To be apprised, or have information, of; to learn; to be informed of; to hear; as, I understand that Congress has passed the bill.
11. To recognize or hold as being or signifying; to suppose to mean; to interpret; to explain.
12. To mean without expressing; to imply tacitly; to take for granted; to assume.
13. To stand under; to support.
14. To have the use of the intellectual faculties; to be an intelligent being.
15. To be informed; to have or receive knowledge. know and comprehend the nature or meaning of; "She did not understand her husband"; "I understand what she means" perceive mentally; "Now I see!"; "I just can't see:
your point"; "Does she realize how important this decision is?"; "I don't understand the idea" believe to be the case; "I understand you have no previous experience?" make sense of a language; "She understands French"; "Can you read Greek?".
16. 1. If you understand someone or understand what they are saying, you know what they mean. Rusty nodded as though she understood the old woman I don't understand what you are talking about He was speaking poor English, trying to make himself understood.
17. If you understand a language, you know what someone is saying when they are speaking that language. I couldn't read or understand a word of Yiddish, so I asked him to translate.
18. To understand someone means to know how they feel and why they behave in the way that they do. It would be nice to have someone who really understood me, a friend Trish had not exactly understood his feelings She understands why I get tired and grumpy.
19. You say that you understand something when you know why or how it happens. They are too young to understand what is going on In the effort to understand AIDS, attention is moving from the virus to the immune system.
20. If you understand that something is the case, you think it is true because you have heard or read that it is. You can say that something is understood to be the case to mean that people generally think it is true. We understand that she's in the studio recording her second album As I understand it, you came round the corner by the cricket field and there was the man in the road The management is understood to be very unwilling to agree to this request It is understood that the veteran reporter had a heart attack.
21. If someone is given to understand that something is the case, it is communicated to them that it is the case, usually without them being told directly. I am given to understand that he was swearing throughout the game at our fans.
22. You can use understand in expressions like do you understand? or is that understood? after you have told someone what you want, to make sure that they have understood you and will obey you. You do not hit my grandchildren, do you understand? I don't need it, understand? I don't want to hear another word about it. Is that understood, Emma?.