understand

verbnever progressive

UK /ˌʌndə(r)ˈstænd/

Word Forms

present tense
I/you/we/they	understand
he/she/it	understands
present participle	understanding
past tense	understood
past participle	understood

1
intransitive/transitive to know what someone or something means
If you don’t understand, just put your hand up.
The instructions were difficult to understand.
I don’t understand a word you’re saying.
Luke nodded as if he understood perfectly.
understand what/where/whether etc:
I don’t quite understand where you want me to put it.
Synonyms and related words
To understand something
understand
know
work out
1. 1a
  to know what something spoken or written in a particular language means
  I’m sorry, I don’t understand French.
  Synonyms and related words
  To understand something
  understand
  know
  work out
2
intransitive/transitive to know how or why something happens, or what effect or influence something has
Do they fully understand the implications of their decision?
understand how/why/what etc:
We are only beginning to understand how the brain functions.
understand (that):
Please try to understand that we want the best for you.
Synonyms and related words
To understand something
understand
know
work out
3
intransitive/transitive to know how someone feels or why someone does something, as a result of experience or by imagining what it must be like to be them
He says his wife doesn’t understand him.
I understand your concern, but the operation is completely safe.
I can understand your reluctance to talk about what happened.
understand how/why/what:
Does she understand why he doesn’t want to see her?
understand someone/someone’s doing something:
I can understand him not inviting Joan (=understand why he does not invite her).
Synonyms and related words
To understand something
understand
know
work out
4
transitive formalto believe that something is true because you have heard or read it somewhere
understand (that):
We understand that a major announcement is to be made tomorrow.
be understood to do something:
Mr Lang is understood to favour more traditional teaching methods.
it is understood that:
It is understood that £2.5 million has been set aside to develop the scheme.
Synonyms and related words
To believe or accept that something is true or exists
think
believe in
suppose
5
transitive usually passiveto recognize that a word or phrase is missing in a sentence and that you have to imagine that it is there
The object of the verb is understood with words such as ‘to smoke’ and ‘to read’.
Synonyms and related words
To understand something or someone in a particular way
make out
interpret
perceive

phrases

be understood

(do you) understand?

give someone to understand (that)

(is that) understood?

make yourself understood

understand ​‌‌‌

understand ​‌‌‌

understand

understand