understand

v.

1. To comprehend

   comprehend, apprehend, fathom, take in, grasp, figure out, seize, take (one's meaning), identify with, know, perceive, appreciate, follow, master, conceive, be aware of, sense, recognize, grow aware, explain, interpret, cognize, see through, learn, find out, ken, see (into), catch, note, be conscious of, have cognizance of, wot, ween, realize, discern, read, distinguish, infer, deduce, induce, make out, make sense of, be apprized of, become alive to, have been around, experience, have knowledge of, be instructed in, get to the bottom of, get at the root of, penetrate, possess, be informed of, come to one's senses, see the light, make out, register*, savvy*, get*, get the gist of*, catch on*, get the point of*, dig*, read between the lines*, be with it*, get the hand of*, get the idea*.

   Antonyms misunderstand*, be ignorant, go astray.

2. To suppose

   guess, conjecture, surmise; see assume 1.

3. To accept

   concede, take for granted, count on; see agree.

understand and comprehend are used interchangeably to imply clear perception of the meaning of something, but, more precisely, understand stresses the full awareness or knowledge arrived at, and comprehend, the process of grasping something mentally one may comprehend the words in an idiom without understanding at all what is meant; appreciate implies sensitive, discriminating perception of the exact worth or value of something to appreciate the difficulties of a situation