understanding of vs understanding for

Both "understanding of" and "understanding for" are commonly used phrases in English, but they are used in different contexts. "Understanding of" is used to indicate knowledge or comprehension about a subject or situation, while "understanding for" is used to express sympathy or empathy towards someone.

Last updated: March 31, 2024 • 4192 views

understanding of

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to indicate knowledge or comprehension about a subject or situation.

Use "understanding of" when you want to talk about someone's knowledge or comprehension of a particular topic or situation.

Examples:

She has a deep understanding of the cultural differences between the two countries.
His understanding of the scientific principles is impressive.
I have a good understanding of the company's policies and procedures.

Show examples from the web [+]

Your support makes our work possible, and helps spread a better understanding of current conflicts and emerging threats. DONATE TO ISW ...
4 days ago ... Our understanding of how the brain and immune system interact has changed substantially over the past years and decades.
Some understanding of grammar is fundamental to learning a language. You need to demonstrate to the examiners that you have more than a literal understanding of ...
Jan 20, 2011 ... A blueprint for blue carbon: toward an improved understanding of the role of vegetated coastal habitats in sequestering CO · Figures · References ...
A framework for advancing our understanding of cancer-associated fibroblasts. Nat Rev Cancer. 2020 Mar;20(3):174-186. doi: 10.1038/s41568-019-0238-1.
Our understanding of the link between the human microbiome and disease, including obesity, inflammatory bowel disease, arthritis and autism, is rapidly ...
Apr 1, 2018 ... Our understanding of the link between the human microbiome and disease, including obesity, inflammatory bowel disease, arthritis and autism, ...
Sep 25, 2020 ... COVID-19: Current understanding of its Pathophysiology, Clinical presentation and Treatment. Postgrad Med J. 2021 May;97(1147):312-320. doi: ...

Alternatives:

knowledge of
comprehension of
awareness of
familiarity with
grasp of

understanding for

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to express sympathy or empathy towards someone.

Use "understanding for" when you want to show sympathy or empathy towards a person or their situation.

Examples:

I have a lot of understanding for what she's going through.
He showed great understanding for the difficulties they were facing.
There was a lack of understanding for the challenges they had to overcome.

Show examples from the web [+]

I also expressed my sympathy and understanding for the step that he has just taken.
I also have a degree of understanding for the very emotional responses which such matters sometimes elicit.
Recently, a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in the field of energy has also been signed between the EU and Turkmenistan.
In the area of direct expenditure, on the new model memorandum of understanding for participation by the candidate countries in Community programmes will include clauses ensuring more effective protection of financial interests.
We believe that the mobility measures contained in the Socrates programme foster social skills, language skills and understanding for other cultures.
Stimulating mutual understanding for, on the one hand, justified security concerns and, on the other hand, possible trade difficulties will, I hope, lead to practical solutions that achieve the right balance between those different interests.
I had expected some understanding for my line of argument.
His blessing will bring love and understanding for all.
He experiences a feeling of an understanding for Vincent, and he struggles to put it into words.
National minorities which become a majority often appear to have no understanding for the other language groups within the territory of their state.
We have every understanding for the underlying idea here, but, given the characteristics of carcinogens, we should not fix unrealistic limits.
I understand what Mr Caccavale is saying, but we must still have some understanding for the work the Commissioner does.
I would ask my colleagues to have some understanding for the way I am going to vote.
These days, refugees mostly hail from further afield, look different to western Europeans, and there is far less understanding for the situation from which they are fleeing.
He has been at the forefront of bringing a greater respect and understanding for Islam within the European Union.
Respect and understanding for these forces of nature is the key to controlling them, Patricia.
I have a great deal of understanding for what Mr Kallas has said.
That is why I would ask Parliament to show understanding for the fact that the Commission itself is not going to move away from this political agreement either.
We would ask for your understanding for this mark of solidarity with all the victims and with public opinion, which has come out against this war.
We show understanding for people's desire for freedom, for a trait that no doubt lives in the heart of every person and every nation.

Alternatives:

empathy for
sympathy for
compassion for
support for
consideration for

What Our Customers Are Saying

Our customers love us! We have an average rating of 4.79 stars based on 283,125 votes.
Also check out our 2,100+ reviews on TrustPilot (4.9).

"Thank you!"
Sachi Nakama July 2024
"I have literally been through chat, PI, claude, bard and bing and I got conflicting answers! Thank you! Human intelligence reigns!"
Retha July 2024
"Faster than AI"
CYNTHIA December 2023
"This was very helpful and I personally think this site is the best."
Kaden October 2023
"It was extremely thorough and very helpful!"
imperialelisa October 2023
"7 years without any disappointment. Always 100% satisfied. You guys are the best in the world at what you do. Thank you so much :)"
Zubair Alam October 2023
"In a world of text messages and online communication, this is great to have as a live tool. Thank you."
Selena October 2023
"Without textranch I would be stuck!"
宏祐 October 2023
"Accuracy and fast response. Personal comments from editor. Thank you."
Clh September 2023
"I wasn't aware of this service, it's fascinating and more reliable than standard IA tools available on the internet"
Arturo September 2023
"The fact that you can get reliable fast feedback on your texts."
Vinicius Antonio August 2023
"you guys are better than grammarly i'm being honest here"
ordinary July 2023
"OMG! This is really good than any other text correction tools I've used so far. Highly recommend this."
Vehan July 2023
"Very fast and accurate. thank you."
mojtaba July 2023
"I love this app because it's help to writing skills all of students ♥️"
Tarisini July 2023
"This was exactly the mistake I was looking for, the wording dind´t sound right at first. Better than grammarly!"
Ente July 2023
"The immediate help that I received was reassuring and very satisfactory. Thanks."
priiiyanshuu July 2023
"this helps A LOT for my studies."
kathnunez02 June 2023
"Woow!! I would never have expected such precision! Thank you soooo much!!"
Berta June 2023
"Real Time Editor and not AI. Many Thanks."
Priya June 2023
"The very first thing excites me about Textranch is how much your editors care."
sepideh June 2023
"The fact that texts are checked by human editors rather than by AI, etc. I appreciate this!"
Анна June 2023
"Feel welcome, immediate response, high quality feedback"
martin.roy June 2023
"This is the best app that I have ever seen"
Burulai May 2023

understanding of vs understanding for