Link Centre Dictionary

understand

un·ders·tand

UK/ˌʌndəˈstænd/ US/ˌʌndəˈstand/ very common

verb

1.

know and comprehend the nature or meaning of

  • “She did not understand her husband”
  • “I understand what she means”
2.

perceive (an idea or situation) mentally

  • “Now I see!”
  • “I just can”
  • “;”
  • “;”
  • “t understand the idea”
Synonyms
3.

make sense of a language

  • “She understands French”
  • “Can you read Greek?”
Synonyms
4.

believe to be the case

  • “I understand you have no previous experience?”
Synonyms
5.

Origin

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”).

Phrases

  • do you understand
  • give someone to understand
  • I don’t understand
  • understand the assignment
  • understand trap
  • you understood

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WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.