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View synonyms for

understanding

[ uhn-der-stan-ding ]

noun

  1. mental process of a person who comprehends; comprehension; personal interpretation:

    My understanding of the word does not agree with yours.

  2. intellectual faculties; intelligence; mind:

    a quick understanding.

  3. superior power of discernment; enlightened intelligence:

    With her keen understanding she should have become a leader.

  4. knowledge of or familiarity with a particular thing; skill in dealing with or handling something:

    an understanding of accounting practice.

  5. a state of cooperative or mutually tolerant relations between people:

    To him, understanding and goodwill were the supreme virtues.

  6. a mutual agreement, especially of a private, unannounced, or tacit kind:

    They had an understanding about who would do the dishes.

  7. an agreement regulating joint activity or settling differences, often informal or preliminary in character:

    After hours of negotiation, no understanding on a new contract was reached.

  8. Philosophy.
    1. the power of abstract thought; logical power.
    2. Kantianism. the mental faculty resolving the sensory manifold into the transcendental unity of apperception.


adjective

  1. characterized by understanding; prompted by, based on, or demonstrating comprehension, intelligence, discernment, empathy, or the like:

    an understanding attitude.

understanding

/ ˌʌԻəˈæԻɪŋ /

noun

  1. the ability to learn, judge, make decisions, etc; intelligence or sense
  2. personal opinion or interpretation of a subject

    my understanding of your predicament

  3. a mutual agreement or compact, esp an informal or private one
  4. an unofficial engagement to be married
  5. archaic.
    philosophy the mind, esp the faculty of reason
  6. on the understanding that
    with the condition that; providing
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. sympathetic, tolerant, or wise towards people
  2. possessing judgment and intelligence
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • ˌܲԻˈٲԻ徱Բ, adverb
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Other Word Forms

  • ܲd·ٲԻiԲ· adverb
  • ԴDzu··ٲԻiԲ adjective noun
  • ԴDzu··ٲԻiԲ·ly adverb
  • -ܲd·ٲԻiԲ noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of understanding1

First recorded before 1050; understand + -ing 1( def )
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

A conservation manager for the Dorset-based Butterfly Conservation, Steven Lofting, said the new method "has the potential to change our understanding of their biology, distribution, abundance and ecology. It's really exciting."

From

"I thought we were trusted colleagues who had, over many years, built up a relationship of trust and understanding," he added.

From

In fact, in the modern, popular understanding of the brain, we really tend to think of this organ as a sophisticated version of the technology it inspired.

From

The review warned this too often results in teaching to the test rather than offering a broad understanding of the subjects.

From

"We're all grappling with this issue of tariffs but I think that there is an understanding why President Trump wants to address some of the global imbalances there are in the system," she said.

From

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