Synonyms

intellectualize

American

[in-tl-ek-choo-uh-lahyz] / ˌɪn tlˈɛk tʃu əˌlaɪz /

especially British, intellectualise

verb (used with object)

intellectualized, intellectualizing

to seek or consider the rational content or form of.
to make intellectual.
to analyze (something) intellectually or rationally.
to ignore the emotional or psychological significance of (an action, feeling, dream, etc.) by an excessively intellectual or abstract explanation.

verb (used without object)

intellectualized, intellectualizing

to talk or write intellectually; reason; philosophize.

to intellectualize about world problems.

intellectualize British

/ ˌɪntɪˈlɛktʃʊəˌlaɪz /

verb

to make or become intellectual
(tr) to treat or consider in an intellectual way; rationalize

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

intellectualization noun
intellectualizer noun
overintellectualization noun
overintellectualize verb
semi-intellectualized adjective

Etymology

Origin of intellectualize

First recorded in 1810–20; intellectual + -ize

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“If you’re able to intellectualize that information and verbalize, this isn’t for you,” she says.

From The Wall Street Journal

“I think I was trying to intellectualize my feelings to get away from being vulnerable,” she says.

From Los Angeles Times

Sit in the building that originated “The Sopranos” and “The Wire” and you feel a certain pressure to intellectualize your ideas, to overstress your originality.

From Los Angeles Times

In the short run, that’s a positive coping skill, but in the long run, when you continue to intellectualize and you don’t feel, that can show in different ways like binge drinking, excessive shopping, excessive doomscrolling, physical breakdowns or even dipping into low-function depression.

From Los Angeles Times

You can sit back afterward and intellectualize everything, but when you’re watching it, even when it’s weird, it makes logical sense.

From Salon

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023