intellect
Americannoun
-
intellects
plural
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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
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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.
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a person possessing a great capacity for thought and knowledge.
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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
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a mind or intelligence, esp a brilliant one
his intellect is wasted on that job
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informal a person possessing a brilliant mind; brain
-
those possessing the greatest mental power
the intellect of a nation
Synonym Usage
See mind.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of intellect
1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin intellēctus, equivalent to intelleg(ere) “to understand” + -tus suffix of verbal action; see intelligent
Explanation
Intellect is how much intelligence you have. Einstein was known for having a great intellect. Mickey Mouse's friend Goofy has almost no intellect to speak of. Intellect is the mental equivalent of athletic ability or fashion sense, so someone is an intellect if they have great intellectual ability just as an athlete is someone who has great athletic ability. Intellect is something everyone has in some degree. If someone talks down to you, it's an insult to your intellect. Your teacher might say you have a sharp intellect if you have the intellect to figure out difficult problems. An intellectual is a person who has a lot of knowledge and prefers to think about things on an abstract or theoretical level rather than a practical one.
Vocabulary lists containing intellect
"Ain't I a Woman?"
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Steven P. Jobs, 1955-2011: The New York Times Obituary
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Selection Vocabulary 3, Unit 4
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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.
See Examples For:
The presentation was designed to work on the emotions as well as the intellect.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2026
It added: "Ann was unafraid to express her unwavering convictions, formed through her Roman Catholic faith. She had a sharp intellect and was a dedicated public servant."
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
Instead of proposing Waddingham as a Bond co-star, she’s the expertly skilled agent flanked by a best friend with an equally formidable intellect – the Moneypenny to her 007.
From Salon ● Jul. 26, 2026
“His recently failing health did little to diminish his fierce intellect and sharp sense of humour. He will leave an unfillable hole in the lives of all who knew him, or his music.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
Classical music in the mid-twentieth century was mostly about the brain and the intellect: the conceptual theory behind a composition had become more important than the sensory effect of the music.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
The libertarian intellects of Web 1.0 lost their place to cringe culture; subsequently, zoomers crowded out millennials on the information superhighway.
From Slate ● Aug. 27, 2024
You’ll begin to sense Becker and Fagen’s presence in the music, free-floating intellects winking behind their shades, welcoming you in without letting on that they’re glad you’re here.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 4, 2023
“I think it behooves us as public policymakers and public officeholders to extend our intellects as broadly as we can,” Mills said.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 13, 2023
Dr. Kimbrough said the schools reasserted themselves as the “original safe spaces” for Black students, cultivating both their intellects and their spirits.
From New York Times ● Jun. 11, 2022
And yet when he says, “I am from outer space,” some of you actually shut your eyes, abase your intellects, and believe!
From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin
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.
