understanding
UK /ʌndəˈstandɪŋ/ · US /ˌʌndɚˈstændɪŋ/ noun, adjective
Also a form of understand
Forms understandings
- noun (uncountable) The act of one that understands or comprehends; the mental process of discernment of meaning. “There are certain things that defy human understanding.”
- noun (countable) Reason or intelligence; ability to grasp the full meaning of knowledge; ability to infer. “She has a solid understanding of particle physics.”
- noun (countable) Opinion, judgement, or outlook. “According to my understanding, the situation is quite perilous. I wonder if you see it this way, too.”
- noun An informal contract; a mutual agreement. “I thought we had an understanding - you do the dishes, and I throw the trash.”
- noun A reconciliation of differences. “The parties of the negotiation have managed to come to an understanding.”
- noun (uncountable) Sympathy. “He showed much understanding for my problems when he heard about my past.”
- adjective Showing compassion, tolerance, and forbearance; sympathetically aware.
- adjective (dated) Knowing; skilful.
Synonyms
comprehension grasp apprehension discernment savvy agreement sympathy reason intellect
Etymology
From Middle English understandinge, understondinge, from Old English understanding (“intelligence, understanding”), from Proto-West Germanic *undarstandingu, from Proto-Germanic *understandingō, equivalent to understand + -ing (gerund ending). Cognate with Middle Dutch onderstaninge, Middle Low German understandinge, Middle High German understandunge.
From Middle English understandyng, understondynge, understondinde, undirstondend, understandande, from Old English understandende, from Proto-West Germanic *undarstandandī, from Proto-Germanic *understandandz, present participle of Proto-Germanic *understandaną (“to stand between, intercede, understand”), equivalent to understand + -ing (present participle ending).
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Knowing; intelligent; skillful; as, he is an understanding man.
- noun The act of one who understands a thing, in any sense of the verb; knowledge; discernment; comprehension; interpretation; explanation.
- noun An agreement of opinion or feeling; adjustment of differences; harmony; anything mutually understood or agreed upon; as, to come to an understanding with another.
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “understanding”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details