intelligent

[ in-tel-i-juhnt ]

adjective

1. having good understanding or a high mental capacity; quick to comprehend, as persons or animals:

   an intelligent student.

   Synonyms: bright

   Antonyms: stupid

2. displaying or characterized by quickness of understanding, sound thought, or good judgment:

   an intelligent reply.

   Synonyms: smart, shrewd, discerning, apt, bright, alert, clever, astute

   Antonyms: stupid

3. having the faculty of reasoning and understanding; possessing intelligence:

   intelligent beings in outer space.

4. Computers. pertaining to the ability to do data processing locally; smart: Compare dumb ( def 8 ).

   An intelligent terminal can edit input before transmission to a host computer.

5. Archaic. having understanding or knowledge (usually followed by of ).

intelligent

/ ɪnˈtɛlɪdʒənt /

adjective

1. having or indicating intelligence
2. having high intelligence; clever
3. indicating high intelligence; perceptive

   an intelligent guess

4. guided by reason; rational
5. (of computerized functions) able to modify action in the light of ongoing events
6. archaic.
   postpositivefoll byof having knowledge or information

   they were intelligent of his whereabouts

Derived Forms

• inˈtelligently, adverb

Other Words From

• in·telli·gent·ly adverb
• hyper·in·telli·gent adjective
• hyper·in·telli·gent·ly adverb
• nonin·telli·gent adjective
• nonin·telli·gent·ly adverb
• prein·telli·gent adjective
• prein·telli·gent·ly adverb
• quasi-in·telli·gent adjective
• quasi-in·telli·gent·ly adverb
• semi-in·telli·gent adjective
• semi-in·telli·gent·ly adverb
• super·in·telli·gent adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of intelligent¹

First recorded in 1500–10; from Latin intelligent- (stem of intelligēns, present participle of intelligere, variant of intellegere “to understand,” literally, “choose between),” equivalent to intel- (variant of inter- inter- ) + -lig- (combining form of leg-, stem of legere “to pick up, choose”; lection ) + -ent- -ent

Synonym Study

Intelligent, intellectual describe distinctive mental capacity. Intelligent often suggests a natural quickness of understanding: an intelligent reader. Intellectual implies not only having a high degree of understanding, but also a capacity and taste for the higher forms of knowledge: intellectual interests. See sharp.

Example Sentences

Governor Jindal seems like a good guy, intelligent, reasonable.

From The Daily Beast

Vice President Jindal: “Here is a good, intelligent, and reasonable plan for legislative action.”

From The Daily Beast

I thought he was very intelligent, very gentle, soft-spoken, precise.

From The Daily Beast

That kind of spoiled naïveté seems inexcusable in a clearly intelligent author who is pushing 30.

From The Daily Beast

Genuinely funny and intelligent and navel-gazing and strange, these parts might eventually add up to something truly big.

From The Daily Beast

All our intelligent students will insist upon learning what they can of these discussions and forming opinions for themselves.

From Project Gutenberg

So intelligent were her methods that she doubtless had great influence in making the memory of his art enduring.

From Project Gutenberg

His dark, shining, almost too intelligent eyes looked at Nigel, and looked away.

From Project Gutenberg

With less intelligent children traces of this tendency to take pictorial representation for reality may appear as late as four.

From Project Gutenberg

He looks about thirty-five, has a clean-shaven intelligent face, and is dressed in a dark tweed suit.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• astute
• brainy
• bright
• brilliant
• creative
• imaginative
• inventive
• knowledgeable
• original
• perceptive
• rational
• resourceful
• smart
• well-informed
• wise