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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:

Yet he says neither side is lying, something that is “not confusing if you understand the trauma that native peoples are still experiencing to this day.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2026

From the advent of social media to the rise of artificial intelligence, young people face conditions their elders struggle to understand.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026

So I want to thank you for sharing such a personal story in a public forum, because sometimes there’s too little kindness and willingness to understand the lives of others.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 19, 2026

"What we have seen is that once people have experienced it they tend to be a convert and understand why we are doing it, because the children really love it."

From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026

“The steps you’ve taken are necessary for you to choose yourself, for you to be your authentic self, and not the self your dad chose for you. Do you understand that?”

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

He emphasizes that his coaching staff, which is also deeply rooted in the community, understands the realities of their players’ lives.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 18, 2026

Although he is enjoying his posting, Legrand understands why some young educators leave the profession.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

Perhaps because she understands that the internet is not real life, and that her message is resonating with a silent majority.

From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2026

This made her relate more deeply to her customers, she explains, as she understands the loss of control some women feel when they lose their hair.

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

“You’re the only one who understands me,” I whispered.

From "Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus" by Dusti Bowling

During the hearings, the defendants only spoke to acknowledge that they reviewed and understood the charges against them.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026

Labour MP for Nottingham East Nadia Whittome has told the BBC she understood the officer was "now out of surgery".

From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026

It was understandable that few understood the decision.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 18, 2026

She was someone who understood the meaning of doing small things, how large the effect would be.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2026

He understood now what Angela had meant when she had said, “I know what I saw. I trust my own eyes.”

From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

“I want the participants of the exhibit to have a real understanding of the importance of Brockman Gallery in the position of the art world and not just in the Black community,” said Dale.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2026

There can and should be no understanding of those ambitions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026

“There is no clear understanding yet regarding the meeting itself or its potential agenda, although all three parties acknowledge the hypothetical possibility of such a meeting taking place,” he told The Wall Street Journal.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2026

"For people to have a better understanding of them as kids – because that's what they were, they were kids. Just normal teenagers who should still be here."

From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026

Once upon a time, when he’d been a good student at school, he’d been an expert at grammar, understanding when to use that or which or who or whom.

From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman


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