Understandable describes something that makes sense or is easy to grasp. When a teacher explains a math problem in an understandable way, the steps are clear and logical. When your friend's handwriting is understandable, you can actually read what they wrote without squinting and guessing.

The word also describes reactions or feelings that make sense given the situation. If you're nervous before giving a speech in front of the whole school, that's completely understandable. Most people would feel the same way. When your little brother cries after scraping his knee, his tears are understandable because getting hurt can be painful and scary.

Something becomes understandable when it connects to what you already know or when it follows patterns that make sense. A book written for adults might not be understandable to a third grader, not because the child isn't smart, but because they haven't learned enough vocabulary and concepts yet. Good teachers take complicated ideas and break them into understandable pieces.

The opposite would be confusing, baffling, or incomprehensible. When you tell someone “that's understandable,” you're saying their thinking or feelings make sense to you, even if you might have handled things differently.