understand

verb past tense and past participle understood /-'stUd/ (not in progressive)

1 MEANING (I, T) to know the meaning of what someone is telling you, or the language that they speak: She doesn't understand English - try Spanish. | I'm sorry, I don't understand. Can you explain that again? | understand perfectly: I understand perfectly, the children must be in bed by 8 o'clock.

2 FACT/IDEA (I, T) to know or realize how a fact, process, situation etc works, especially through learning or experience: I don't really understand the political situation in Northern Ireland. | understand how/why/where etc: You don't need to understand how computers work to be able to use them. | fully understand: How the drug actually works isn't fully understood.

3 PERSON (I, T) to know and sympathize with how someone feels, and why they behave the way they do: My parents just don't understand me. | Don tried to understand. | understand how/what etc: I understand how you feel, but I think you're over-reacting. | understand sb doing sth: I can understand her wanting to live alone and be independent.

4 I understand (that) spoken formal used to say that someone has told you that something is true: I understand that you'll be coming to work here soon.

5 make yourself understood to be able to express simple things in another language: I'm not very good at German, but I can make myself understood.

6 do you understand? spoken used when you are telling someone what they should or should not do, especially when you are angry with them: Never speak to me like that again! Do you understand?

7 be understood formal used to say that something has been agreed and there is no need to discuss it: be understood that: I thought it was understood that if we worked late we'd get paid double.

8 understand sth/sb to mean sth accept something as having a particular meaning: In this document, `children' is understood to mean people under 14.

9 give sb to understand sth formal to make someone believe that something is true, something is going to happen etc, without telling them this directly: I was given to understand that the property was in good condition.