Added 9 October 2026
understand
/ˌʌndəˈstænd/ verb
In Latin: intellegō, comprehendō, percipio Wiktionary
verb Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about understand at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
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To know the meaning of; to parse or have parsed correctly; to comprehend.
Can you repeat what you just said? I didn't understand.
- To know the meaning of.
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To be thoroughly familiar with; to be able to undertake properly.
The students understood the assignment.
interjection
- Uh-huh, I see; a way to acknowledge something said by the other speaker.
Origin
From Middle English understanden, from Old English understandan (“to understand”), from Proto-West Germanic *understandan (“to stand between, understand”), from Proto-Germanic *understandaną (“to stand between, understand”), equivalent to Old English under- (“between, inter-”) + standan (“to stand”) (Modern English under- + stand). Cognate with Old Frisian understonda (“to understand, experience, learn”), Old High German understantan (“to understand”), Middle Danish understande (“to understand”). Compare also Saterland Frisian understunda, unnerstounde (“to dare, survey, measure”), Dutch onderstaan (“to undertake, presume”), German unterstehen (“to be subordinate”).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)