understands

verb

(transitive, intransitive, of communication or means of communication: words, statements, signs, etc.) To know the meaning of; to parse or have parsed correctly; to comprehend.

(transitive, generally) To know the meaning of.

(transitive, of a skill, task, profession, etc.) To be thoroughly familiar with; to be able to undertake properly.

(transitive, usually with clause as object) To comprehend a fact or principle; to regard or come to regard a belief as such.

(transitive, of people) To know the intent, motives or character of; (of events) to know the causes of or reasons for.

(transitive) To believe or infer, to think one grasps sufficiently despite potentially incomplete knowledge.

(transitive, grammar) To regard as present when not.

(humorous, rare, obsolete outside circus, acrobatics) To stand underneath, to support.

Roots

underunder- · Old English · beneath, below standan-stand · Old English · stand

Synonyms & related words for understands

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Words related to understands

Explore words related to understands — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include realize, sympathize, comprehend, interpret, empathize, understood, understander, know. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Where does understands come from?

The word understands breaks down into 2 roots of Old English origin: under-, from Old English under (“beneath, below”); and -stand, from Old English standan (“stand”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.