intellectual

American  

[in-tl-ek-choo-uhl] / ˌɪn tlˈɛk tʃu əl /

adjective

1. appealing to or engaging the intellect.

   intellectual pursuits.

   Synonyms:

   mental

2. of or relating to the intellect or its use.

   intellectual powers.

   Synonyms:

   mental

3. possessing or showing intellect or mental capacity, especially to a high degree.

   an intellectual person.

4. guided or developed by or relying on the intellect rather than upon emotions or feelings; rational.

5. characterized by or suggesting a predominance of intellect.

   an intellectual way of speaking.

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noun

1. a person of superior intellect.

2. a person who places a high value on or pursues things of interest to the intellect or the more complex forms and fields of knowledge, as aesthetic or philosophical matters, especially on an abstract and general level.

3. an extremely rational person; a person who relies on intellect rather than on emotions or feelings.

4. a person professionally engaged in mental labor, as a writer or teacher.

5. Archaic. intellectuals,

   1. the mental faculties.

   2. things pertaining to the intellect.

intellectual British  

/ ˌɪntɪˈlɛktʃʊəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to the intellect, as opposed to the emotions

2. appealing to or characteristic of people with a developed intellect

   intellectual literature

3. expressing or enjoying mental activity

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noun

1. a person who enjoys mental activity and has highly developed tastes in art, literature, etc

2. a person who uses or works with his intellect

3. a highly intelligent person

intellectual Cultural  

1. A person who engages in academic study or critical evaluation of ideas and issues. (See intelligentsia.)

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Related Words

See intelligent.

Other Word Forms

• half-intellectual adjective
• half-intellectually adverb
• hyperintellectual adjective
• hyperintellectually adverb
• hyperintellectualness noun
• intellectuality noun
• intellectually adverb
• intellectualness noun
• nonintellectual adjective
• nonintellectually adverb
• nonintellectualness noun
• overintellectual adjective
• overintellectually adverb
• overintellectualness noun
• preintellectual adjective
• preintellectually adverb
• quasi-intellectual adjective
• quasi-intellectually adverb
• semi-intellectual adjective
• semi-intellectually adverb
• superintellectual adjective
• superintellectually adverb
• unintellectual adjective
• unintellectually adverb

Etymology

Origin of intellectual

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin intellēctuālis, equivalent to intellēctu-, stem of intellēctus intellect + -ālis -al ¹

Explanation

The adjective intellectual describes something related to or using the mind or intellect. Your creative pursuit of singing in a rock band is different from your intellectual interest in 16th-century drama. Intellectual is often used to describe intensive reasoning and deep thinking, particularly in relation to subjects that tend to spark deep discussion, such as literature or philosophy. An intellectual is also a noun for a cerebral or brainy person who engages in deep thinking, like Plato, Albert Einstein, or your classmate who can speak at length about the relationship between French existentialism and ice hockey.

Example Sentences

One of the Brin-backed measures would bar new taxes on personal property, including retirement accounts, intellectual property and financial assets, excluding real estate.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 2, 2026

Artificial intelligence, for example, has the potential to unlock significant cost savings, increase revenue across advertising, and rejuvenate intellectual property.

From Barron's • May 1, 2026

The church could very well prevail on the narrow claim that “Mormon Stories” has violated its intellectual property rights.

From Salon • Apr. 29, 2026

Grealish has also extended his role as principal ambassador of Special Olympics Great Britain - an organisation that provides sports training and competition for children and adults with an intellectual disability.

From BBC • Apr. 29, 2026

Their new science was organized around the virtues of a juge d’instruction: intellectual rigour, a set of formalized procedures, a quest for a complete proof, a confidence that one need only answer to other professionals.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Related Words

• cerebral
• creative
• highbrow
• mental
• psychological
• rational
• scholarly
• thoughtful