understand

/ˌən-dər-ˈstand/

Middle English, from Old English understandan, from under + standan to stand

verb

  1. to grasp the meaning of

  2. to grasp the reasonableness of

  3. to have thorough or technical acquaintance with or expertness in the practice of

understand Russian

his behavior is hard to understand

understand comprehend appreciate mean to have a clear or complete idea of. understand and comprehend are very often interchangeable. understand may, however, stress the fact of having attained a firm mental grasp of something. comprehend may stress the process of coming to grips with something intellectually.

idiom

  1. to cause (someone) to believe (something)

She was given to understand that the job was hers.

idiom

  1. to not understand —often used when someone does not agree with something