Movatterモバイル変換

[0]ホーム
URL:

Jump to content
WiktionaryThe Free Dictionary
Search

understand

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

[edit]
EnglishWikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Alternative forms

[edit]

Etymology

[edit]

FromMiddle Englishunderstanden, fromOld Englishunderstandan(“to understand”), fromProto-West Germanic*understandan(“to stand between, understand”), fromProto-Germanic*understandaną(“to stand between, understand”), equivalent toOld Englishunder-(“between, inter-”) +standan(“to stand”) (Modern Englishunder- +‎stand). Cognate withOld Frisianunderstonda(“to understand, experience, learn”),Old High Germanunderstantan(“to understand”), MiddleDanishunderstande(“to understand”). Compare alsoSaterland Frisianunderstunda,unnerstounde(“to dare, survey, measure”),Dutchonderstaan(“to undertake, presume”),Germanunterstehen(“to be subordinate”).

Pronunciation

[edit]

Verb

[edit]

understand (third-person singular simple presentunderstands,present participleunderstanding,simple past and past participleunderstood)

  1. (transitive, intransitive, ofcommunication or means of communication: words, statements, signs, etc.) Toknow themeaning of; toparse or have parsed correctly; tocomprehend.
    Can you repeat what you just said? I didn'tunderstand.
    • 1892,Walter Besant, “Prologue: Who is Edmund Gray?”, inThe Ivory Gate […], New York, N.Y.:Harper & Brothers, […],→OCLC:
      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.
    • 1950,L. Ron Hubbard,Dianetics‎[1],New Era Publications, published1999,→ISBN,→OCLC,page ix:
      In reading this book, be very certain you never go past a word you do not fullyunderstand.
    • 2013 June 14,Sam Leith, “Where the Profound Meets the Profane”, inThe Guardian Weekly, volume189, number 1, page37:
      Swearing doesn't just mean what we nowunderstand by "dirty words". It is entwined, in social and linguistic history, with the other sort of swearing: vows and oaths.
    • 2024 February 5, Stephen Collinson, “Trump’s legal battles are at a critical moment with major implications for the 2024 election”, inCNN‎[2]:
      With his legal maneuverings, Trump is showing that he alsounderstands the implications of this election — one that could give him substantial powers as president to defray or dismiss many of the legal threats that he’s facing and to behave in office without future accountability.
    1. (transitive, generally) To know the meaning of.
      • 1991 September,Stephen Fry, chapter 1, inThe Liar, London:Heinemann,→ISBN, section I,page14:
        ‘[…] I came back here, had awank and finished that book.’
        ‘The Naked Lunch?’
        ‘Yeah.’
        ‘What did you reckon?’
        ‘Crap.’
        ‘You’re just saying that because you didn’tunderstand it,’ said Adrian.
        ‘I’m just saying that because I didunderstand it,’ said Tom. ‘Any road up, we’d better start making some toast. […]’
  2. (transitive, of a skill, task, profession, etc.) To be thoroughly familiar with; to be able toundertakeproperly.
    The studentsunderstood the assignment.
  3. (transitive, usually with clause as object) Tocomprehend afact orprinciple; to regard or come to regard abelief as such.
    Iunderstand that company policy says I can't get a refund, but can you make an exception?
    There's been no formal declaration, but it'sunderstood that a state of war exists between the two countries
    • 2024 November 14, Lauren del Valle, “After suicide of nonbinary teen, DOE finds multiple Title IX violations at Oklahoma school district”, inCNN‎[3]:
      “While we continue to believe the original complaint made to OCR was based on inaccurate information, OPSunderstands the importance for the district to remain in compliance with Title IX regulations in regard to policies, procedures, training, and documentation,” Coates’ statement said.
  4. (transitive, of people) Toknow theintent,motives orcharacter of;(of events) to know the causes of or reasons for.
    One day you say you love me, the next you ignore me—I don'tunderstand you!
  5. (transitive) Tobelieve orinfer, tothink one graspssufficiently despite potentially incompleteknowledge.
    I've been given tounderstand that you have a package for me?
    At least four people areunderstood to have been injured.
  6. (transitive, grammar) Toregard as present when not.
    In the imperative mood, the word “you” is usuallyunderstood.
  7. (humorous, rare, obsolete outside circus, acrobatics) Tostandunderneath, tosupport.

Usage notes

[edit]
  • In its sense of "imputing meaning", use is usually limited to the past participleunderstood.
  • The obsolete perfect formunderstanded is occasionally found, e.g. in theBook of Common Prayer and the39 Articles of the Anglican Church.

Conjugation

[edit]
Conjugation ofunderstand
infinitive(to)understand
present tensepast tense
1st-personsingularunderstandunderstood
2nd-personsingularunderstand,understandest†understood,understoodest†
3rd-personsingularunderstands,understandeth†understood
pluralunderstand
subjunctiveunderstandunderstood
imperativeunderstand—
participlesunderstandingunderstood,understanded†

Synonyms

[edit]

Antonyms

[edit]

Derived terms

[edit]

Translations

[edit]
to grasp the meaning of
to believe one grasps the meaning of
to believe
to regard as present when not
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions atWiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked

Interjection

[edit]

understand

  1. (Singapore, Malaysia, backchanneling)Uh-huh, I see;a way toacknowledge something said by the other speaker.

See also

[edit]

Further reading

[edit]

Anagrams

[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=understand&oldid=87437685"
Categories:
Hidden categories:
[8]ページ先頭
©2009-2025 Movatter.jp