What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Understand vs Forstand - What's the difference?

understand | forstand |

In transitive terms the difference between understand and forstand

is that understand is to be aware of the meaning of while forstand is to stand against; stand in front of so as to bar the way; block; oppose; withstand.

understand

English

Alternative forms

* understaund (obsolete)

Verb

  • (lb) To be aware of the meaning of.
  • :
  • :
  • *(William Shakespeare) (1564-1616)
  • *:I understand not what you mean by this.
  • *{{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-14, author= Sam Leith
    • , volume=189, issue=1, page=37, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) , title= Where the profound meets the profane , passage=Swearing doesn't just mean what we now understand by "dirty words". It is entwined, in social and linguistic history, with the other sort of swearing: vows and oaths.}}
  • To believe, based on information.
  • :
  • * {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham)
    • , title=(The China Governess) , chapter=Foreword citation , passage=‘I understand that the district was considered a sort of sanctuary,’ the Chief was saying. ‘An Alsatia like the ancient one behind the Strand, or the Saffron Hill before the First World War.
  • To impute meaning, character etc. that is not explicitly stated.
  • :
  • :In this sense, the word is usually used in the past participle:
  • ::
  • *(John Locke) (1632-1705)
  • *:The most learned interpreters understood the words of sin, and not of Abel.
  • *
  • *:Thus, when he drew up instructions in lawyer language, he expressed the important words by an initial, a medial, or a final consonant, and made scratches for all the words between; his clerks, however, understood him very well.
  • To stand under; to support.
  • :(Shakespeare)

    • Usage notes

    * Common objects of this verb include text'', ''word(s)'', ''sentence(s)'', ''note(s) , etc. * Rarely, the obsolete past tense form understanded'' may be found, e.g. in the ''Book of Common Prayer'' and ''Thirty-nine Articles of the Anglican Church .

    Synonyms

    * (to know the meaning) apprehend, comprehend, grasp, know, perceive, pick up what someone is putting down, realise, grok * (to believe) believe

    Antonyms

    * misunderstand

    Derived terms

    * I don’t understand * understandable * understanding * understood

    See also

    * explain * why

    External links

    * *

    Statistics

    * 1000 English basic words English irregular verbs English words prefixed with under-

    forstand

    English

    Alternative forms

    *

    Verb

  • To stand against; stand in front of so as to bar the way; block; oppose; withstand.
  • * 1849 , John Mitchell Kemble, The Saxons in England :
    • "As he would more of them had not wise God, Wierd forstood him, and the man's courage."
  • *1895 , The Medical News:
    • Hemophilia is a contraindication for vaginal hysterectomy, unless you have the time to build your patient up in order to forestand the shock.
  • * 1963 , Fredericus Theodorus Visser, An historical syntax of the English language: Volume 1, Part 3 :
    • A mighty angel there forstood them.
  • To understand; comprehend.
  • * 1878 , Samuel Smiles, Robert Dick: baker, of Thurso, geologist and botanist :
    • How can I forstand' your Professors, when they dinna ' forstand themselves."

    References

    * Wright, The English dialect dictionary , forstand. ----