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

/ ˌʌndəˈstændɪŋ /

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

adjective

1. sympathetic, tolerant, or wise towards people
2. possessing judgment and intelligence

Derived Forms

• ˌunderˈstandingly, adverb

Other Words From

• under·standing·ly adverb
• nonun·der·standing adjective noun
• nonun·der·standing·ly adverb
• self-under·standing noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of understanding¹

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

Example Sentences

"Answering these questions could help further our understanding of cancer risk and how to better detect and manage cancer in people at high risk," says Dr. Aparicio.

From Science Daily

This poses questions for our understanding of "normal" tissues, according to principal investigator Nicholas Navin, Ph.D., chair of Systems Biology.

From Science Daily

"Answering this question is a huge step toward understanding how we can make the most robust and productive crops possible in the face of climate change and a growing global population."

From Science Daily

To control the growth, fabrication, and electronic and mechanical properties of nanomaterials, understanding these processes is essential.

From Science Daily

"He is getting better and better at having a deeper understanding of the game and his role in it."

From BBC

Related Words

• conclusion
• idea
• impression
• interpretation
• judgment
• knowledge
• meaning
• opinion
• perception
• sense
• sympathy
• view