understanding

Meanings

1. The act of one that understands or comprehends; the mental process of discernment of meaning.
2. Reason or intelligence; ability to grasp the full meaning of knowledge; ability to infer.
3. Opinion, judgement, or outlook.
4. An agreement of minds; harmony; something mutually understood or agreed upon.
5. An informal contract; a mutual agreement.
6. A reconciliation of differences.
7. Sympathy.

1. Showing compassion, tolerance, and forbearance; sympathetically aware.
2. Knowing; skilful.

1. present participle and gerund of understand

Etymology

From Middle English understandinge, understondinge, from Old English understanding (“intelligence, understanding”), from Proto-West Germanic *undarstandingu, from Proto-Germanic *understandingō, equivalent to understand + -ing (gerund ending). Cognate with Middle Dutch onderstaninge, Middle Low German understandinge, Middle High German understandunge.