intelligent

American  

[in-tel-i-juhnt] / ɪnˈtɛl ɪ dʒənt /

adjective

1. having good understanding or a high mental capacity; quick to comprehend, as persons or animals.

   an intelligent student.

   Synonyms:

   bright

   Antonyms:

   stupid

2. displaying or characterized by quickness of understanding, sound thought, or good judgment.

   an intelligent reply.

   Synonyms:

   smart, shrewd, discerning, apt, bright, alert, clever, astute

   Antonyms:

   stupid

3. having the faculty of reasoning and understanding; possessing intelligence.

   intelligent beings in outer space.

4. Computers. pertaining to the ability to do data processing locally; smart.

   An intelligent terminal can edit input before transmission to a host computer.

5. Archaic. having understanding or knowledge (usually followed byof ).

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intelligent British  

/ ɪnˈtɛlɪdʒənt /

adjective

1. having or indicating intelligence

2. having high intelligence; clever

3. indicating high intelligence; perceptive

   an intelligent guess

4. guided by reason; rational

5. (of computerized functions) able to modify action in the light of ongoing events

6. archaic having knowledge or information

   they were intelligent of his whereabouts

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Related Words

Intelligent, intellectual describe distinctive mental capacity. Intelligent often suggests a natural quickness of understanding: an intelligent reader. Intellectual implies not only having a high degree of understanding, but also a capacity and taste for the higher forms of knowledge: intellectual interests. See sharp.

Other Word Forms

• hyperintelligent
  adjective
• hyperintelligently
  adverb
• intelligently
  adverb
• nonintelligent
  adjective
• nonintelligently
  adverb
• preintelligent
  adjective
• preintelligently
  adverb
• quasi-intelligent
  adjective
• quasi-intelligently
  adverb
• semi-intelligent
  adjective
• semi-intelligently
  adverb
• superintelligent
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of intelligent

First recorded in 1500–10; from Latin intelligent- (stem of intelligēns, present participle of intelligere, variant of intellegere “to understand,” literally, “choose between),” equivalent to intel- (variant of inter- inter- ) + -lig- (combining form of leg-, stem of legere “to pick up, choose”; cf. lection) + -ent- -ent

Explanation

Humans? Intelligent! Potted plants? Not so much. Intelligent means smart, or having the ability to process and understand information (including dictionary definitions). Intelligent comes from a Latin word meaning "to understand, to gather," and intelligent creatures gather and make sense of information easily. Intelligent also refers to the ability to think. Intelligent objects, like speakers or software, seem to think in the way they react to change. If we’re looking for intelligent life on Mars, we want Martians who can reason. Intelligent also means showing good judgement, like an intelligent decision not to invite all those Martians to your birthday party.

Example Sentences

I want to be surrounded by people who are more intelligent than I am.

From MarketWatch • May 6, 2026

Selena Lau's family said she was "an intelligent and cheeky girl who was adored and loved by everyone".

From BBC • May 1, 2026

People who knew some of his tutoring students said they described him as intelligent and skilled at mathematics and science.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 28, 2026

That is, he wished his paper had done what an intelligent 9-year-old, in a spirit of science, possessed of curiosity, would have done when presented with a new and unexplained phenomenon.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

For the rest of the walk he spared me the pressure of trying to sound intelligent, addressing me only to point out loose stones or other hazards of the street made invisible by the dark.

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse

Related Words

• astute
• brainy
• bright
• brilliant
• creative
• imaginative
• inventive
• knowledgeable
• original
• perceptive
• rational
• resourceful
• smart
• well-informed
• wise