intellect

American  

[in-tl-ekt] / ˈɪn tlˌɛkt /

noun

intellects plural

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.

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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

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Synonym Usage

See mind.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• intellective
  adjective
• intellectively
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• intellects
  plural

Etymology

Origin of intellect

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

The author also explores the sleight of intellect practiced by Jefferson, a slave owner who deplored slavery and used his rhetorical skills to cast the cause of states’ rights as a question of liberty.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 2, 2026

O’Herlihy’s many L.A. buildings are full of motion and discovery, reflecting his restless intellect and optimism, a sense that even the most compromised urban site was capable of producing something valuable.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 18, 2026

Greek pistis—trust as social persuasion—became, in Christian theology, fides: a structured commitment of the intellect to a claim that cannot be directly demonstrated, grounded not in feeling or rhetorical force but in evaluated reasons.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026

Among new friends in London, Mary’s studiousness makes her a formidable intellect.

From Salon • May 20, 2026

Understand his lunatic theory of matter and mind, the chilly intellect, the hot imagination, blocks and builder, reality as stress.

From "Grendel" by John Gardner

Related Words

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