understanding

Etymology

Definitions

1. 1

   The act of one that understands or comprehends

   The act of one that understands or comprehends; the mental process of discernment of meaning.

   • There are certain things that defy human understanding.
   • The Ways of Heav’n are dark and intricate, Puzzled in Mazes, and perplext with Errors; Our Underſtanding traces ’em in vain, Loſt and bewilder’d in the fruitleſs Search; […]
2. 2

   Reason or intelligence

   Reason or intelligence; ability to grasp the full meaning of knowledge; ability to infer.

   • She has a solid understanding of particle physics.
3. 3

   Opinion, judgement, or outlook.

   • It is the goneness of the Holocaust that produces the simultaneous profusion of discourses and understandings; the goneness is what opens up, what spurs, what unleashes the perpetual desire to do, to make, to rethink the Holocaust.
   • There is a multitude of theisms, many understandings of God, even within the same religious tradition.
4. ›+ 5 more definitionsshow fewer

   1. 4

      An agreement of minds

      An agreement of minds; harmony; something mutually understood or agreed upon.

      • I thought we had an understanding - you do the dishes, and I throw the trash.
   2. 5

      Sympathy.

      • He showed much understanding for my problems when he heard about my past.
   3. 6

      Showing compassion, tolerance, and forbearance

      Showing compassion, tolerance, and forbearance; sympathetically aware.

   4. 7

      Knowing

      Knowing; skilful.

   5. 8

      present participle and gerund of understand

The neighborhood

• neighborintellection
• neighborinnerstanding
• neighboroverstand