crystallized intelligence

American  

[kris-tl-ahyzd in-tel-i-juhns] / ˈkrɪs tlˌaɪzd ɪnˈtɛl ɪ dʒəns /

noun

1. the ability to use one’s accumulated skills, varieties of knowledge, and experience to make informed decisions.

   Crystallized intelligence peaks in later life, as new experiences tend to expand one's store of knowledge.

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Etymology

Origin of crystallized intelligence

Coined in 1963 by British-American psychologist Raymond Bernard Cattell ( 1905–1998 )

Example Sentences

In applied science, crystallized intelligence, gained through experience, appears to be even more vital: Nobel-worthy breakthroughs in medicine arrived a bit later, at age 40, on average.

From New York Times • Aug. 29, 2019

Fluid intelligence follows a developmental trajectory, reaching a peak in early adulthood and decreasing with age, whereas crystallized intelligence increases slowly and asymptotically as you age until fairly late in life.

From Salon • Nov. 4, 2018

Learn how to play the piano or cook a new dish, and you have increased your crystallized intelligence.

From Scientific American • Dec. 2, 2014