understand
(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.
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watched kiki's delivery service for the first time bc friend was sick and she wanted to watch her favorite movie. this was my first ever ghibli movie. i adore it. its so cozy and its helping me understand my own burno…
It's only when journalists understand the role they play in this propaganda, it's only when they realize they can't be both independent, honest journalists and agents of power, that things will begin to change. John P…
RT @OlekKier: There are super-slow ents and fast dragons in LOTR universe. 😉 In my view, an ASI will understand that the highest instrumental goal is the immortalization of the system, so that values can be scaled wi…
Important point to understand: the GOP is an authoritarian movement, not a political party in a representative democracy. The U.S. is now effectively a competitive authoritarian regime. newrepublic.com/article/2099...
No I'm saying that definition has already been functionally changed, at least on the left. It's how zack polanski treats the word, its how zohran mamdani treats the word, and its how most people under forty understand…
Definitions
(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.
Can you repeat what you just said? I didn't understand.
“Important point to understand: the GOP is an authoritarian movement, not a political party in a representative democracy. The U.S. is now effectively a competitive authoritarian regime. newrepublic.com/article/2099...”
— Bluesky· May 2026“No I'm saying that definition has already been functionally changed, at least on the left. It's how zack polanski treats the word, its how zohran mamdani treats the word, and its how most people under forty understand the word.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“The UK does pay for it in the form of taxes, payroll and other. From what I understand however, is it's not that bad.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Halfway through with Maelle’s Blouse please be nice it’s my first time making a cuff and had to do some minor work around since the pattern instructions was a tad difficult for me to understand heh heh heh….but looking good! #E33 #Maelle #cosplay #ClairObscurExpedition33”
— Bluesky· May 2026“What’s something everyone pretends to understand but actually doesn’t?”
— r/AskReddit· May 2026
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(transitive, of a skill, task, profession, etc.) To be thoroughly familiar with; to be able to undertake properly.
"understand" means: To be thoroughly familiar with; to be able to undertake properly.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
"understand" means: To be thoroughly familiar with; to be able to undertake properly.. Register: neutral, standard English, usable in most everyday contexts. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in a comparable context.
“watched kiki's delivery service for the first time bc friend was sick and she wanted to watch her favorite movie. this was my first ever ghibli movie. i adore it. its so cozy and its helping me understand my own burnout more and more”
— Bluesky· May 2026“It's only when journalists understand the role they play in this propaganda, it's only when they realize they can't be both independent, honest journalists and agents of power, that things will begin to change. John Pilger”
— Bluesky· May 2026“RT @OlekKier: There are super-slow ents and fast dragons in LOTR universe. 😉 In my view, an ASI will understand that the highest instrumental goal is the immortalization of the system, so that values can be scaled without end.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“really think I understand it. You're in”
“>> It was important. I understand.”
Comments
(transitive, usually with clause as object) To comprehend a fact or principle; to regard or come to regard a belief as such.
With his legal maneuverings, Trump is showing that he also understands the implications of this election — one that could give him substantial powers as president to defray or dismiss many of the legal threats that he’s facing and to beh…
“Agricultural lands produce more human-consumable calories, but are far, far, far less rich overall. You can understand this just by thinking about how deep the roots go in comparison, and what they're using all that water for; fixing more energy.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“I understand the perspective because I too have played many games that were just bad and didn't get more interesting / weren't worth pushing through, but when people I find credible recommend, I'll take extra time to reconsider and dig deeper, as is warranted here.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“>> It was important. I understand.”
“really think I understand it. You're in”
“>> Do you understand why it's one of the”
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