intelligence
Americannoun
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the capacity, especially of a particular person or animal, for learning, reasoning, understanding, and similar forms of mental activity; relative aptitude in grasping truths, relationships, meanings, etc..
I want my daughter’s teachers to nourish her intelligence and curiosity.
Natasha was a chimpanzee of remarkable intelligence, a “genius” among her species.
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the demonstration or application of a high mental capacity.
He writes with intelligence and wit.
- Synonyms:
- penetration, aptitude, acumen, reason, discernment
- Antonyms:
- stupidity
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the faculty of understanding, learning, or reasoning, considered generally.
Are there hard limits to human intelligence?
Some questions must be addressed not only with the intelligence but also with the heart.
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a particular aspect of the ability to perceive, understand, learn, and handle problems, as used in a specified way, area of life, activity, etc..
The study examined the effect of emotional intelligence on organizational learning.
I have no mechanical intelligence whatsoever.
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new or current knowledge or information, such as about specific events, conditions, trends, etc..
Feeds from 26 mall cameras are analyzed to provide vendors with actionable intelligence about shopping patterns.
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the gathering or distribution of information, especially secret information.
I’ve decided to pursue a career in intelligence.
His areas of focus include business intelligence, data management, and investment research.
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Government.
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information about an enemy or a potential enemy.
We now have new intelligence about terrorist activity in the country.
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the evaluated conclusions drawn from such information.
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an organization or agency engaged in gathering such information.
She works for military intelligence.
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interchange of information.
They have been maintaining intelligence with foreign agents for years.
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Christian Science. a fundamental attribute of God, or infinite Mind.
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Often Intelligence an intelligent being or spirit, especially one without a physical body, such as an angel or Supreme Being.
He believes there is a creative Intelligence behind the universe.
noun
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the capacity for understanding; ability to perceive and comprehend meaning
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good mental capacity
a person of intelligence
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old-fashioned news; information
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military information about enemies, spies, etc
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a group or department that gathers or deals with such information
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(often capital) an intelligent being, esp one that is not embodied
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(modifier) of or relating to intelligence
an intelligence network
Related Words
See mind.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of intelligence
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin intelligentia, from intelligent- (stem of intellegēns intelligent ) + -ia, noun suffix
Explanation
Intelligence is your ability to comprehend something, like calculus or why plants grow toward the sun. Intelligence comes from the Latin word intelligere, "to understand," which makes sense because it refers to someone's ability to understand things. Your intelligence helps you pass math class and learn French. It means smarts — what you need at least some of to get through school. Intelligence has an exciting double life: it also refers to what spies are trying to get — information from the enemy. You can be born with it, or acquire it, especially if you're in the CIA.
Vocabulary lists containing intelligence
Bush's Address on 9/11
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Fallen Angels
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Schooled
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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.
However, in a last-minute compromise it agreed to first send sensitive documents to the Intelligence and Security Committee, who would decide what could and could not be published.
From BBC • May 15, 2026
An outdoor screening of Morecambe and Wise's 1965 spy comedy The Intelligence Men will air at The Jubilee Club on 15 May at 14:00.
From BBC • May 14, 2026
"Nissan's fundamental challenges lie in the decline of product competitiveness in North America, the rapid decline in sales in China, and the damage to its brand power," said Tatsuo Yoshida, analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence.
From Barron's • May 13, 2026
That missed the ¥202.24 billion estimate in a poll of analysts by data provider S&P Global Market Intelligence.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026
The photographer, a retired Central Intelligence Agency agent named Howard Hunt, sat down to take notes.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
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.
