Search the Dictionary

Knowing; intelligent; skillful; as, he is an understanding man.

In an understanding manner; intelligibly; with full knowledge or comprehension; intelligently; as, to vote upon a question understandingly; to act or judge understandingly. The gospel may be neglected, but in can not be understandingly disbelieved. J. Hawes.

Void of understanding. [Obs.] Bp. Pearson.

Disagreement; difference of opinion; dissension; quarrel. "Misunderstandings among friends." Swift.

ity, a trust, duty, right, etc. He abdicates all right to be his own governor. Burke. The understanding abdicates its functions. Froude.

perception; acumen; keenness; sharpness; sensitiveness; -- applied to the senses, or the understanding. By acuteness of feeling, we perceive small objects or slight impressions: by acuteness of intellect, we discern nice distinctions. Perhaps, also, he felt his professional acuteness interested in bringing it to a suc…

s resentment; marked disrespect; a purposed indignity; insult. Offering an affront to our understanding. Addison.

in an engagement that something shall be done or omitted; an exchange of promises; mutual understanding, arrangement, or stipulation; a contract.

The act of turning into allegory, or of understanding in an allegorical sense.

Imbecility; total want of understanding.

in a general sense, between individuals, societies, or nations; friendly relations; good understanding; as, a treaty of amity and commerce; the amity of the Whigs and Tories. To live on terms of amity with vice. Cowper.

A prerequisite to a clear understanding of the predicaments and categories, such as definitions of common terms. Chambers.

Clear or manifest to the understanding; plain; evident; obvious; known; palpable; indubitable. It is apparent foul play. Shak.

To take hold of with the understanding, that is, to conceive in the mind; to become cognizant of; to understand; to recognize; to consider. This suspicion of Earl Reimund, though at first but a buzz, soon got a sting in the king's head, and he violently apprehended it. Fuller. The eternal laws, such as the heroic age a…

The faculty by which ideas are conceived; understanding; as, a man of dull apprehension.

As well, also; too; besides. Addison. -- As well as, equally with, no less than. "I have understanding as well as you." Job xii. 3. -- As yet, until now; up to or at the present time; still; now.

domination; power. An undisputed ascendency. Macaulay. Custom has an ascendency over the understanding. Watts.

r usually connected with another; an concomitant. The one [idea] no sooner comes into the understanding, than its associate appears with it. Locke.

o utter in an indistinct or incoherent way; to repeat,as words, in a childish way without understanding. These [words] he used to babble in all companies. Arbuthnot.

l. -- Between ourselves, Between you and me, Between themselves, in confidence; with the understanding that the matter is not to be communicated to others.