Dictionary

intelligent en · ADJ · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ɪnˈtɛlɪd͡ʒənt/

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₁én Proto-Indo-European *-tér Proto-Indo-European *h₁n̥tér Proto-Italic *n̥ter Latin inter Latin inter- Proto-Indo-European *leǵ- Proto-Indo-European *-eti Proto-Indo-European *léǵeti Proto-Italic *legō Latin legō? Proto-Indo-European *h₂leg- Proto-Indo-European *-eti Proto-Indo-European *h₂légeti Proto-Italic *legō? Latin intelligō Latin intelligēns Middle French intelligent English intelligent From Middle French intelligent, from Latin intellegēns (“discerning”), present active participle of intellegō (“understand, comprehend”), itself from inter (“between”) + legō (“choose, pick out, read”).

Meanings

1. Of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright.
   • Anstruther laughed good-naturedly. “[…] I shall take out half a dozen intelligent maistries from our Press and get them to give our villagers instruction when they begin work and when they are in the fields.” 1927, F. E. Penny, chapter 5, in Pulling the Strings:
2. Well thought-out, well considered.
   • The general devised an intelligent strategy for the southern campaign.
   • The engineer had a very intelligent design proposal for the new car.
3. Characterized by thoughtful interaction.
   • My girlfriend and I had an intelligent conversation.
4. Having at least a similar level of brain power to humankind.
   • The hunt for extraterrestrial intelligent life continues.
5. Having an environment-sensing automatically-invoked built-in computer capability.
   • an intelligent network or keyboard

Forms

Antonyms

dumb · stupid · unintelligent

Deriveds

superintelligent · intelligent agent · intelligent design · intelligent terminal · intelligent designer · intelligent disobedience · intelligentization · intelligent character recognition · intelligent haunting · intelligent falling · intelligent transportation system · intelligentness · intelligent designism · ultraintelligent · nonintelligent · general intelligent action · hyperintelligent · intelligent guess · intelligent system · intelligent dance music · artificially intelligent

Hyponyms

overclever

Relateds

witty · intelligence · wily · like a duck takes to water · learned

Synonyms

astute · clever · gifted · smart · intellectual · brilliant · talented · scholared · savvy · sharp · self-aware (similar level of brain power to mankind) · bright · quick · brainy · genius · educated · wise · hivey · keen · whip-smart · rational · quick on the uptake · piquant · intelligent · sagacious · quick-witted · knowledgeable · ingenious

Translations (146)

cmn 聰慧 /聪慧 (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · ckv msanem (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · sa प्रज्ञ (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · fi älyllinen (characterized by thoughtful interaction) · pdt beschläpen (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · fr intelligent (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · oc intelligent (well thought-out, well considered) · ur ہوشیار (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · grc συνετός (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · ja 利口な (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · bn বুদ্ধিমান (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · nl intelligent (characterized by thoughtful interaction) · hu intelligens (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · ru сообрази́тельный (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · tr akıllı (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · cy deallus (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · pl inteligentny (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · bg разумен (well thought-out, well considered) · hy խելոք (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · th ฉลาด (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · gl intelixente (well thought-out, well considered) · ru поня́тливый (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · be разу́мны (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · de intelligent (well thought-out, well considered) · gl intelixente (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · bg умен (well thought-out, well considered) · ckb زیرەک (characterized by thoughtful interaction) · ro inteligent (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · lt protingas (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · ast intelixente (well thought-out, well considered) · ady акъыл (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · ms cerdas (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · ro deștept (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · sv klok (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · xqa بِلْكا (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · ko 똑똑한 (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · ang andġietol (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · es inteligente (characterized by thoughtful interaction) · mn ухаалаг (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · ka ინტელიგენტური (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · pt inteligente (well thought-out, well considered) · ms pintar (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · lv gudrs (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · el νοήμων (having at least a similar level of brain power to humankind) · sq i zgjuar (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · eo inteligenta (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · scn spertu (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · hi चतुर (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · sg mayele (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · tl intelihente (characterized by thoughtful interaction) · fr intelligent (well thought-out, well considered) · ckb زیرەک (well thought-out, well considered) · fi älykäs (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · tl matalino (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · es inteligente (well thought-out, well considered) · mi punenga (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · bg интелигентен (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · it intelligente (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · is gáfaður (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · ru у́мный (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · el έξυπνος (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · sa चतुर (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · fr intelligent (having at least a similar level of brain power to humankind) · nl intelligent (well thought-out, well considered) · ru смышлёный (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · fa باهوش (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · ja 聡明な (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · km ឆ្លាត (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · de klug (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · pt inteligente (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · unm lëpwe (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · it intelligente (characterized by thoughtful interaction) · ru у́мный (well thought-out, well considered) · sv intelligent (characterized by thoughtful interaction) · es inteligente (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · ru разу́мный (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · as বুধিয়ক (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · tl matalino (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · tl pinag-isipan (well thought-out, well considered) · ru здра́вый (well thought-out, well considered) · ja 賢い (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · bg схватлив (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · tl matalino (characterized by thoughtful interaction) · de klug (well thought-out, well considered) · it intelligente (having at least a similar level of brain power to humankind) · pt inteligente (characterized by thoughtful interaction) · cmn 聰明 /聪明 (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · fa هوشمند (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · ca intel·ligent (characterized by thoughtful interaction) · ba аҡыллы (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · scn ntilliggenti (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · uk розу́мний (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · sw akili (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · ur سمجھدار (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · hi बुद्धिमान (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · he נָבוֹן (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · fi älykäs (well thought-out, well considered) · ar ذَكِيّ (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · bg смислен (characterized by thoughtful interaction) · nl doordacht (well thought-out, well considered) · gl espelido (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · la intelligens (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · it intelligente (well thought-out, well considered) · pdt Forcht (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · chr ᎠᏌᎹᏗ (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · sv klyftig (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · fr intelligent (characterized by thoughtful interaction) · ca intel·ligent (well thought-out, well considered) · ru проду́манный (well thought-out, well considered) · hi सयाना (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · es inteligente (having at least a similar level of brain power to humankind) · sv intelligent (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · ln mayele (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · io inteligenta (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · ru разу́мный (well thought-out, well considered) · sk inteligentný (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · ka საზრიანი (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · mi koi te hinengaro (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · de intelligent (characterized by thoughtful interaction) · ckb زیرەک (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · lv saprātīgs (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · hy խելացի (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · sa मनु (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · oc intelligent (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · ga meabhrach (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · lv prātīgs (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · la catus (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · ga éirimiúil (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · lo ສລາຕ (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · el έξυπνος (well thought-out, well considered) · tl intelihente (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · de intelligent (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · rup dishteptu (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · ml ബുദ്ധിയുള്ള (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · nl intelligent (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · no intelligent (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · ast intelixente (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · ko 총명한 (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · de intelligent (having at least a similar level of brain power to humankind) · tl intelihente (well thought-out, well considered) · arz زكي (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · vi thông minh (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · ca intel·ligent (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · pa ਅਕਲਮੰਦ (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · cs inteligentní (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright) · grc ἔμφρων (of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright)

intelligent en · NOUN · etymology 2

Etymology

Partly from Russian интеллиге́нт (intelligént) and partly from the adjective.

Meanings

1. A member of the intelligentsia; an intelligent person.
   • Many Russian intelligents, in particular scientists, that already in tsarist times were “infected” by liberal and even socialist ideas found in the revolution and the societal structure that followed, with all its horrible features, positive sides. 2011, Evgenii L’vovich Feinberg, translated by Andrei Vladimirovich Leonidov, Physicists: Epoch and Personalities (History of Modern Physical Sciences; 4), World Scientific, →ISBN, page 43:
   • But if you fall away from your faith, as many intelligents have fallen away, then you will no longer be Russia or Holy Rus’, but a rabble of all kinds of other faiths who wish to destroy one another. 2000, Nadieszda Kizenko, A Prodigal Saint: Father John of Kronstadt and the Russian People, The Pennsylvania State University Press, published 2003, →ISBN, page 248:
   • Like many Russian intelligents, the Merežkovskijs, together with Filosofov and the young student Vladimir Zlobin, fled from Russia in 1919. 1972, Olga Matich, Paradox in the Religious Poetry of Zinaida Gippius, Wilhelm Fink, →ISBN, page 30:
   • Now, as all intelligents are doomed to pass probationary states, it is highly probable that many intelligents, long antecedent to the foundation of our world, may have tarnished their innocence; or worse, many may have by disobedience fallen. 1832, The Comparative Coincidence of Reason and Scripture, volume II, London: J[ohn] Hatchard and Son, […], page 253:

Forms