understandable
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
- nonunderstandable adjective
- understandability noun
- understandably adverb
- ununderstandable adjective
Etymology
Origin of understandable
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English: originally, “capable of understanding”; understand + -able
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.
There’s a lot of anger on the show — often, the very understandable result of the situations the characters find themselves in.
From Los Angeles Times
Given the gut-wrenching nature of their penalty shootout defeat against Bosnia, it was understandable that many of them couldn't stomach this fixture.
From BBC
“That’s understandable. You take as much time as you need before you come back to volunteering, and I do hope you come back.”
From Literature
Despite the age gap, the off-kilter attraction between Dianne and Sam is understandable, given how unhappy both of them are with their stuck lives.
Is the price being charged for kits understandable, or have they gone too far?
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
