understanding

11 definitions • 12 examples

knowledge about a subject, situation, etc. or about how something works:

understanding of She doesn't have any understanding of politics/human nature/what it takes to be a good manager.

My understanding of the agreement (= what I think it means) is that they will pay $50,000 over two years.

a positive relationship between two people or groups in which they feel sympathy for each other:

understanding between For peace to exist in the region there needs to be a much improved understanding between all the parties concerned.

an informal agreement between people:

come to/reach an understanding It took several hours of discussion before they could come to/reach an understanding.

If you do something on the understanding that something else can or will happen, you do it because someone else has promised that it can or will:

We bought the sofa on the understanding that we could return it if it didn't fit in the room.

An understanding person who has the ability to know how other people are feeling, and can forgive them if they do something wrong:

He had expected her to be horrified, but she was actually very understanding.

something that you have reason to believe:

[ + that clause ] Ours was a generation brought up with the understanding (= belief) that science meant progress.

An understanding is also an informal agreement between people:

The two sides have come to/reached an understanding about the sale of the house.

knowledge of a particular thing:

He doesn’t have any real understanding of mathematics.

Understanding is also a feeling of kindness and caring based on knowledge, esp. of the causes of behavior:

The values he had in mind were simply family love and understanding.

sympathetic and caring:

an understanding friend

an informal agreement:

Taiwan and Hong Kong reached an understanding for a five-year commercial air agreement.