intellect

American  

[in-tl-ekt] / ˈɪn tlˌɛkt /

noun

1. 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

2. capacity for thinking and acquiring knowledge, especially of a high or complex order; mental capacity.

3. a particular mind or intelligence, especially of a high order.

4. a person possessing a great capacity for thought and knowledge.

5. minds collectively, as of a number of persons or the persons themselves.

---

intellect British  

/ ˈɪntɪˌlɛkt /

noun

1. the capacity for understanding, thinking, and reasoning, as distinct from feeling or wishing

2. a mind or intelligence, esp a brilliant one

   his intellect is wasted on that job

3. informal a person possessing a brilliant mind; brain

4. those possessing the greatest mental power

   the intellect of a nation

---

Related Words

See mind.

Other Word Forms

• intellective adjective
• intellectively adverb

Etymology

Origin of intellect

1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin intellēctus, equivalent to intelleg(ere) “to understand” + -tus suffix of verbal action; 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.

Example Sentences

At the Candidates, one opponent tried to lead Sindarov away from the common lines that grandmasters tend to study, hoping that he could outwit the 20-year-old in a battle of instinct and intellect, not memorization.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

Anthropic began advertising last September, using the slogan “Keep Thinking” and positioning Claude as a partner for solving complex problems to counter market anxiety that overreliance on AI threatens human intellect.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 4, 2026

This combination will make them much more productive and indispensable, turning AI into a force multiplier for human intellect.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 6, 2026

So for my annual holiday columna recommending great books about Southern California, I’m sticking to formats that lend themselves to easier reading — bite-size jewels of intellect, if you will.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 30, 2025

We substituted good grammar for intellect; we switched habits to simulate maturity; we rearranged lies and called it truth, seeing in the new pattern of an old idea the Revelation and the Word.

From "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison

Related Words

• ability
• acumen
• genius
• intelligence
• intuition
• judgment
• savvy