understandable

Understandable is an adjective that describes something that can be understood; it denotes clarity, intelligibility, or ease of grasp. It is commonly used of explanations, instructions, texts, or presentations, where the goal is to convey information so that a reader or listener can follow it without difficulty.

Origin and formation: the adjective is built from the verb understand plus the suffix -able. Its sense is that of being capable of being understood. The term has long been in use in English to contrast with things that are unclear, opaque, or confusing.

Usage and factors: how understandable something is depends on the audience, prior knowledge, context, organization, and language choices. Plain language, explicit structure, short sentences, and concrete terms generally improve understandability. Readability or comprehensibility measures sometimes attempt to estimate how understandable a text will be to a target audience.

Related terms and nuances: related terms include comprehensible, intelligible, and lucid. In evaluative use, understandable can function as a hedge, as in It is understandable that someone would miss the point, signaling sympathy for the difficulty. The word is common in education, journalism, and technical writing when clarity is a priority.