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Synonyms

brainpower

American  
[breyn-pou-er] / ˈbreɪnˌpaʊ ər /

noun

  1. intellectual capacity; mental ability.

  2. people with superior mental abilities.

    an emergency medical conference of all available brainpower.


brainpower British  
/ ˈbreɪnˌpaʊə /

noun

  1. intelligence; mental ability

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of brainpower

First recorded in 1875–80; brain + power

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.

The division has dwindled in recent months as Meta pours more resources into its teams chasing superintelligence, the goal to build AI systems that exceed human brainpower.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 11, 2025

Daniel Costa, an ecologist at the University of California, Santa Cruz, told the publication that elephant seals may have more brainpower than he previously believed.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 4, 2024

When Elon Musk sought a location for Tesla’s “global engineering headquarters,” the seat of the company’s innovative brainpower, he found it in Hewlett Packard’s former corporate headquarters — not in Austin, but Palo Alto.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 29, 2024

That three of them, including Ashwin, are qualified engineers might be a coincidence, but off-spinners have to work harder at their craft, and that combination of discipline and brainpower is useful.

From BBC • Feb. 19, 2024

“We need your brainpower, guys,” Grace said to Jake and Kojo.

From "The Smartest Kid in the Universe" by Chris Grabenstein