understood

adjective

un·​der·​stood ˌən-dər-ˈstu̇d How to pronounce understood (audio)
1
: fully apprehended
2
: agreed upon
3

Examples of understood in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The understood idea is the Dolphins (11-5) aren’t the healthiest after a rough stretch of injuries, and that adds to why this coming stretch of the season will be as fun as a foreclosure for Mike McDaniel or his defining feat. Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 2 Jan. 2024 This view of viral illnesses and their potential long-term impacts may lead to research that will also help people with other little understood conditions, such as chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia, which experts believe might be triggered by viral infections, Al-Aly said. Linda Carroll, NBC News, 14 Dec. 2023 But that’s a fairly minor shortcut, since direct detection of things like doors and packages is a fairly well understood problem. IEEE Spectrum, 2 Dec. 2023 Remember that New York Judge Lewis Kaplan has already said that Trump raped Carroll in the normally understood sense of the term. Michael Tomasky, The New Republic, 3 Nov. 2023 Though the Clippers were Harden’s understood preference, the Clippers were hardly in a Harden-or-bust philosophy. Andrew Greif, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2023 With a history that includes Henrietta Lacks and the Tuskegee Experiment, there’s some understood skepticism. Victoria Uwumarogie, Essence, 3 Oct. 2023 But there’s another important but little understood factor — a product of the heat that fire forecasters study closely. Paul Duginski, Los Angeles Times, 1 Aug. 2023 Neanderthals, the best understood species of archaic human, often lived in limestone caves that preserved their bones well after death. Matt Hrodey, Discover Magazine, 16 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'understood.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1605, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of understood was in 1605

Dictionary Entries Near understood

Cite this Entry

“Understood.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/understood. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

understood

adjective
un·​der·​stood ˌən-dər-ˈstu̇d How to pronounce understood (audio)
1
: fully known
2
: agreed upon
3
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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