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Definitions

understand

[uhn-der-stand] / ˌʌn dərˈstænd /




Usage

What are other ways to say understand? To understand is to be fully aware not only of the meaning of something but also of its implications: I could comprehend all he said, but did not understand that he was joking. To know is to be aware of something as a fact or truth: He knows the basic facts of the subject. I know that he agrees with me. To comprehend is to know something thoroughly and to perceive its relationships to certain other ideas, facts, etc. 

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Her husband is open to a trust, but he wants to be the administrator of the trust — which, I understand, could later be changed.

From MarketWatch Jul. 30, 2026

We take time to understand the customer, understand their perspectives.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 30, 2026

“We are committed to making sure veterans understand what they are capable of, and that could very well include education at an elite institution.”

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 30, 2026

The answer: bring the second cast member — the theater audience — into the brainstorming session to help them understand and connect more deeply to the very human situation the main character finds himself in.

From Salon Jul. 30, 2026

He’d never remembered that moment of kindness, for he’d been too close to death to understand what was happening.

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman

Our son understands that there will be costs associated with probating our wills.

From MarketWatch Jul. 29, 2026

Dennis Dahmer, who is 73, similarly understands the stakes of what the court has done by rolling back key protections the VRA established.

From Slate Jul. 27, 2026

No movie this year understands that better than “Obsession,” the $750,000 low-budget film directed by a 26-year-old that just surpassed $400 million at the global box office.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 26, 2026

The BBC understands that the party was not aware of the investigation into the payments from Britain Means Business.

From BBC Jul. 25, 2026

I love that no one else here understands it.

From "Born Behind Bars" by Padma Venkatraman

Ruemmler said she declined to join Epstein’s 2019 defense team because the indictment alleged more sinister conduct than she had understood.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 30, 2026

The story behind Sabato Rodia’s obsession to create what remains one of L.A.’s most admired and least understood landmarks.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 29, 2026

In his view, the group understood before many others that the "aperitivo" to be enjoyed before dinner had to become a fun ritual at once simple, elegant and accessible.

From Barron's Jul. 29, 2026

My mother, an excellent cook, understood repetition better.

From Salon Jul. 28, 2026

He told me he thought I understood that this is how the Resistance works.

From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler

It’s become more about the understanding that the buying experience is profoundly changing, and marketing is becoming more critical to that than ever.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 30, 2026

But Stevens more aptly fits the conventional understanding of electable, a point that her campaign is hammering home as its closing message.

From Slate Jul. 30, 2026

Marian Nicholson, director of the Herpes Viruses Association, has lived with herpes for more than three decades and said public understanding had failed to keep pace with medical knowledge.

From BBC Jul. 29, 2026

This is worth doing now, rather than through a letter to be opened later — so you can see the benefit of deeper understanding while you’re still here.

From MarketWatch Jul. 29, 2026

Lucky that she is forgiving and understanding, and that she knows how to wear down anyone’s defenses.

From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila




Vocabulary lists containing understand


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