Definition of understandingnext
1
2
as in appreciation
the knowledge gained from the process of coming to know or understand something a social observer with a deep understanding of the problems that the nation's cities face in the 21st century

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

understanding

2 of 3

adjective

understanding

3 of 3

verb

present participle of understand
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2
3

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of understanding
Noun
On Sunday, Russia and Syria signed a memorandum of understanding dictating their military cooperation in the near future. Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 11 Aug. 2026 This issue may increase the risk of a crash by possibly preventing road users from understanding which way a driver is going. Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2026
Adjective
At the command, my commanding officer was very understanding. Erika I. Ritchie, Oc Register, 10 May 2026 Letting go of the camera metaphor could be a step toward better understanding how memory works. Gabrielle Principe, The Conversation, 5 May 2026
Verb
The Yankee Stadium crowd went into a frenzy, understanding just what that moment meant. Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 5 Aug. 2026 What might have seemed dull to a thought stimulated by the senses or by intellectual pursuits becomes an opportunity to listen for what Christ is imparting to us – nurturing our progress in understanding the things of Spirit, God. Tony Lobl, Christian Science Monitor, 4 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for understanding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for understanding
Noun
  • The Virgo Moon moves through your 8th House of Intimacy and Shared Resources, highlighting money, emotional stakes, private agreements, and what needs more precision.
    Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The Republican nominee also said the work agreements that allow many state employees to perform their jobs remotely need reform as well.
    Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 14 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • There does seem to have been a high and immediate sense of understanding and appreciation between the president and Collier, so such an exchange between them seems possible.
    Paul Schullery, Outdoor Life, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The Vanity Fair of today embodies a certain sort of lavishness—an often unironic appreciation of and yearning for rich people things.
    Naomi Skwarna, hazlitt.net, 13 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Healthcare needs talented, compassionate clinicians now more than ever.
    Jeff Giullian, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Social Security uses technology to scan disability applications for conditions on the compassionate allowances list, and those applications often receive approval within days, according to one law firm.
    Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Adoring the outcome means deriving joy from seeing the success of others.
    Chip Bell, Forbes.com, 14 June 2026
  • But deriving a unified theory of volcanism will require a geologic Manhattan Project.
    Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 8 May 2026
Verb
  • Locating those places and knowing how to hunt them can tremendously improve your hourly flush rate.
    Tom Huggler, Outdoor Life, 13 Aug. 2026
  • After all, an agent could accept a URL and download a malicious package without its human user even knowing.
    David Berreby, IEEE Spectrum, 13 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Western San Gabriel Mountains/Highway 14 Corridor When an air quality alert pops up on the radar, deciphering its implications is crucial.
    Southern California Weather Report, Daily News, 30 July 2026
  • Jonestown afflicted Naipaul’s vision, his way of deciphering not just political manias but the dreariness of urban life, the perpetual doom of the nuclear-arms race.
    Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 14 July 2026
Noun
  • With O’Leary now out of step with his two biggest members, Cinema United’s smaller exhibitors worry about how the internal fracture might jeopardize their future bargaining power, should the pact knock out another major supplier.
    Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Public Eye is yet another product of NBCUniversal’s larger pact with Wolf Games, a generative AI startup co-founded by Elliot Wolf, executive producer and son of Law & Order creator Dick Wolf.
    Katie Campione, Deadline, 10 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • And the rest is public perception, which has shifted against what many Americans see as a dirty, archaic form of power generation.
    Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Another problem human measures like dams and levees seem to have created, the team argues, is a perception of safety.
    Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 9 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Understanding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/understanding. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

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