Synonyms for understanding
ˌʌn dərˈstæn dɪŋun·der·stand·ing

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. understanding

   Mind, in a general sense, includes all the powers of sentient being apart from the physical factors in bodily faculties and activities; in a limited sense, mind is nearly synonymous with intellect, but includes disposition, or the tendency toward action, as appears in the phrase "to have a mind to work." As the seat of mental activity, brain (colloquially brains) is often used as a synonym for mind, intellect, intelligence. Thought, the act, process, or power of thinking, is often used to denote the thinking faculty, and especially the reason. The instinct of animals is now held by many philosophers to be of the same nature as the intellect of man, but inferior and limited; yet the apparent difference is very great.

   An instinct is a propensity prior to experience and independent of instruction.

   Paley Natural Philosophy ch. 18.

   In this sense we speak of human instincts, thus denoting tendencies independent of reasoning or instruction. The soul includes the intellect, sensibilities, and will; beyond what is expressed by the word mind, the soul denotes especially the moral, the immortal nature; we say of a dead body, the soul (not the mind) has fled. Spirit is used especially in contradistinction from matter; it may in many cases be substituted for soul, but soul has commonly a fuller and more determinate meaning; we can conceive of spirits as having no moral nature; the fairies, elves, and brownies of mythology might be termed spirits, but not souls. In the figurative sense, spirit denotes animation, excitability, perhaps impatience; as, a lad of spirit; he sang with spirit; he replied with spirit. Soul denotes energy and depth of feeling, as when we speak of soulful eyes; or it may denote the very life of anything; as, "the hidden soul of harmony," Milton L'Allegro l. 144. Sense may be an antonym of intellect, as when we speak of the sense of hearing; but sense is used also as denoting clear mental action, good judgment, acumen; as, he is a man of sense, or, he showed good sense; sense, even in its material signification, must be reckoned among the activities of mind, tho dependent on bodily functions; the mind, not the eye, really sees; the mind, not the ear, really hears. Consciousness includes all that a sentient being perceives, knows, thinks, or feels, from whatever source arising and of whatever character, kind, or degree, whether with or without distinct thinking, feeling, or willing; we speak of the consciousness of the brute, of the savage, or of the sage. The intellect is that assemblage of faculties which is concerned with knowledge, as distinguished from emotion and volition. Understanding is the Saxon word of the same general import, but is chiefly used of the reasoning powers; the understanding, which Sir Wm. Hamilton has called "the faculty of relations and comparisons," is distinguished by many philosophers from reason in that "reason is the faculty of the higher cognitions or a priori truth."

   Synonyms:
   brain, consciousness, disposition, instinct, intellect, intelligence, mind, reason, reason, sense, soul, spirit, thought

   Antonyms:
   body, brawn, brute force, material substance, matter

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. understanding

   Synonyms:
   knowledge, discernment, interpretation, construction, agreement, intellect, intelligence, mind, sense, conception, reason, brains

   Antonyms:
   ignorance, misapprehension, misunderstanding, misinterpretation, misconstruction, mindlessness, irrationality

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. understanding, apprehension, discernment, savvynoun

   the cognitive condition of someone who understands

   "he has virtually no understanding of social cause and effect"

   Synonyms:
   sympathy, judgement, intellect, collar, perceptiveness, dread, discernment, appreciation, misgiving, taste, catch, sagaciousness, judgment, pinch, discretion, savvy, reason, apprehension, agreement, taking into custody, arrest, sagacity, apprehensiveness

   Antonyms:
   unperceptive, unperceiving

2. agreement, understandingnoun

   the statement (oral or written) of an exchange of promises

   "they had an agreement that they would not interfere in each other's business"; "there was an understanding between management and the workers"

   Synonyms:
   agreement, arrangement, savvy, apprehension, reason, correspondence, concord, intellect, sympathy, accord, discernment

   Antonyms:
   unperceptive, unperceiving

3. sympathy, understandingnoun

   an inclination to support or be loyal to or to agree with an opinion

   "his sympathies were always with the underdog"; "I knew I could count on his understanding"

   Synonyms:
   apprehension, intellect, savvy, fellow feeling, discernment, reason, sympathy, agreement

   Antonyms:
   unperceptive, unperceiving

4. reason, understanding, intellectadjective

   the capacity for rational thought or inference or discrimination

   "we are told that man is endowed with reason and capable of distinguishing good from evil"

   Synonyms:
   intellect, rationality, savvy, apprehension, discernment, cause, reason, grounds, reasonableness, intellectual, agreement, ground, mind, sympathy

   Antonyms:
   unperceiving, unperceptive

5. understandingadjective

   characterized by understanding based on comprehension and discernment and empathy

   "an understanding friend"

   Antonyms:
   unperceptive, unperceiving

Matched Categories

1. • Inclination
   • Statement

Editors ContributionRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. skills

   Submitted by 26cwhitelaw on December 18, 2019  

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. understandingnoun

   Synonyms:
   intellect, mind, reason, sense, brains, thinking principle, reasoning faculty, rational faculty, discursive faculty, intellectual powers, intellectual faculties

2. understandingnoun

   Synonyms:
   intelligence, apprehension, comprehension, perception, knowledge, discernment, judgment, notion, idea

3. understandingnoun

   Synonyms:
   agreement, accord, unanimity

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. understandingnoun

   Synonyms:
   comprehension, discernment, apprehension, accord, entente, harmony, agreement

   Associated words:
   tacit

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "understanding":

   understand, comprehension, agreement, knowledge, understood, awareness, interpretation, sympathy, insight, include, grasp, arrangement, understandings, perception, appreciation, comprehend, idea, intelligence, accord, concept, vision, comprehending

How to pronounce understanding?

How to say understanding in sign language?

Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use understanding in a sentence?

1. Eric Schultz:

   The US did not draft this resolution nor did the US introduce this resolution, the Egyptians, in partnership with the Palestinians, are the ones who began circulating an earlier draft of the resolution. The Egyptians are the ones who moved it forward on Friday. And we took the position that we did when it was put to a vote. The White House already has acknowledged Obama made the decision for U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power to abstain. Unclear was how involved the Obama administration was in crafting and pushing the resolution itself – which initially was put forward by Egypt, and then pursued as well by New Zealand, Malaysia, Senegal and Venezuela. Netanyahu told his cabinet on Sunday that while the U.S. and Israel for decades had disagreed on settlements, they had an understanding that such action before the U.N. Security Council would make peace negotiations harder.

2. Blair Miller:

   We're having a hard time understanding it all right now, we're retracing every bit of paperwork we were ever given to try to understand what the situation was … because there are a lot of serious questions.

3. Purvi Raniga:

   Nothing happens overnight. Nurturing any relationship, parenting, understanding people, understanding ourselves, building a business, weight loss, personal transformation and education. All takes time. Be consistent and experience the magic of life.

4. David Stilwell:

   I look forward to some interaction with senior Japanese officials, understanding where we sit today in the free and open Indo-Pacific strategy, as well as discussing topics like Iran and North Korea.

5. H. L. Mencken:

   It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his income depends on his not understanding it.