different between understand vs conceive

English

Alternative forms

• understaund (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English understanden, from Old English understandan (“to understand”), from Proto-Germanic *under (“between”) + *standan? (“to stand”), equivalent to Old English under- (“between, inter-”) + standan (“to stand”). Cognate with Old Frisian understonda (“to understand, experience, learn”), Old High German understantan (“to understand”), Middle Danish understande (“to understand”). Compare also Saterland Frisian understunda, unnerstounde (“to dare, survey, measure”), Dutch onderstaan (“to undertake, presume”), German unterstehen (“to be subordinate”). More at inter-, stand.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: ?n(?)d?r-st?nd', IPA^(key): /(?)?nd??stænd/,
• (General American) enPR: ?n?d?r-st?nd', IPA^(key): /??nd??stænd/, [??????stænd], [??????ste??nd]
• (Ireland) IPA^(key): /??nd???stand/
• Rhymes: -ænd
• Hyphenation: un?der?stand

Verb

understand (third-person singular simple present understands, present participle understanding, simple past and past participle understood)

1. (transitive) To grasp a concept fully and thoroughly, especially (of words, statements, art, etc.) to be aware of the meaning of and (of people) to be aware of the intent of.
   • 1991, Stephen Fry, The Liar, p. 20:

     ‘I came back here, had a wank and finished that book.’
     ‘The Naked Lunch?’
     ‘Yeah.’
     ‘What did you reckon?’
     ‘Crap.’
     ‘You're just saying that because you didn't understand it,’ said Adrian.
     ‘I'm just saying that because I did understand it,’ said Tom. ‘Any road up, we'd better start making some toast.’

2. To believe, to think one grasps sufficiently despite potentially incomplete knowledge.

3. (humorous, rare, obsolete outside circus, acrobatics) To stand underneath, to support.

Usage notes

• In its sense of "imputing meaning", use is usually limited to the past participle understood.
• The obsolete perfect form understanded is occasionally found, e.g. in the Book of Common Prayer and the 39 Articles of the Anglican Church.

Synonyms

• (to fully grasp a concept): apprehend, comprehend, grasp, know, perceive, pick up what someone is putting down, realise, grok
• (to believe one grasps a concept): believe

Antonyms

• misunderstand

Derived terms

Translations

See also

• explain
• why

Further reading

• understand in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• understand in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Anagrams

• unstranded

English

Alternative forms

• conceave (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English conceyven, from Old French concevoir, conceveir, from Latin concipi?, concipere (“to take”), from con- (“together”) + capi? (“to take”). Compare deceive, perceive, receive.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /k?n?si?v/
• Rhymes: -i?v

Verb

conceive (third-person singular simple present conceives, present participle conceiving, simple past and past participle conceived)

1. (transitive) To develop an idea; to form in the mind; to plan; to devise; to originate.
   • 1606, Antony and Cleopatra, Shakespeare, II-4

     We shall, / As I conceive the journey, be at the Mount / Before you, Lepidus.

   • It was among the ruins of the Capitol that I first conceived the idea of a work which has amused and exercised near twenty years of my life.
2. (transitive) To understand (someone).

   • I conceive you.

   • You will hardly conceive him to have been bred in the same climate.

4. (intransitive or transitive) To become pregnant (with).

   • She hath also conceived a son in her old age.

5. To generate or engender; to bring into being.

Related terms

• conceivable
• conceiver
• concept
• conception

Translations

Further reading

• conceive in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• conceive in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Middle English

Verb

conceive

1. Alternative form of conceyven