intellect
Americannoun
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the power or faculty of the mind by which one knows or understands, as distinguished from that by which one feels and that by which one wills; the understanding; the faculty of thinking and acquiring knowledge.
- Synonyms:
- common sense, sense, reason
-
capacity for thinking and acquiring knowledge, especially of a high or complex order; mental capacity.
-
a particular mind or intelligence, especially of a high order.
-
a person possessing a great capacity for thought and knowledge.
-
minds collectively, as of a number of persons or the persons themselves.
noun
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the capacity for understanding, thinking, and reasoning, as distinct from feeling or wishing
-
a mind or intelligence, esp a brilliant one
his intellect is wasted on that job
-
informal a person possessing a brilliant mind; brain
-
those possessing the greatest mental power
the intellect of a nation
Related Words
See mind.
Other Word Forms
- intellective adjective
- intellectively adverb
Etymology
Origin of intellect
1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin intellēctus, equivalent to intelleg(ere) “to understand” + -tus suffix of verbal action; intelligent
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
So for my annual holiday columna recommending great books about Southern California, I’m sticking to formats that lend themselves to easier reading — bite-size jewels of intellect, if you will.
From Los Angeles Times
Artificial general intelligence: An artificial intelligence that matches human intellect and can do anything the human brain can do.
From New York Times
“He has the experience, the intellect, the character and commitment to justice, and a broad, broad amount of support, including from advocates for victims,” Hassan said.
From Seattle Times
My mother, a lively intellect with eclectic reading interests, never had a chance to finish her education, although years later Seattle University presented her, posthumously, with an honorary degree.
From Los Angeles Times
For each myth, she also adds invigorating context and sometimes supplementary detail, giving Odysseus “a keener appreciation of his wife’s intellect than Homer did.”
From Washington Post
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
