intelligent

I1N1T1E1L1L1I1G2E1N1T1
/ɪnˈtɛlɪd͡ʒənt/

adjective

Of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright.

“My girlfriend and I had an intelligent conversation.”

CommonScrabble 12

Meanings

intelligent1

adjectiveintelligent (comparative more intelligent or (rare, proscribed) intelligenter, superlative most intelligent or (rare, proscribed) intelligentest)

comparative more intelligent · comparative proscribed rare intelligenter · superlative most intelligent · proscribed rare superlative intelligentest · alternative entelligent

  1. Of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright.

    Anstruther laughed good-naturedly. “[…] I shall take out half a dozen intelligent maistries from our Press and get them to give our villagers instruction when they begin work and when they are in the fields.”

    1927, F. E. Penny, chapter 5, in Pulling the Strings
  2. Well thought-out, well considered.

    The engineer had a very intelligent design proposal for the new car.

    1 more example

    The general devised an intelligent strategy for the southern campaign.

  3. Characterized by thoughtful interaction.

    My girlfriend and I had an intelligent conversation.

  4. Having at least a similar level of brain power to humankind.

    The hunt for extraterrestrial intelligent life continues.

    Synonyms: self-aware

  5. computingHaving an environment-sensing automatically-invoked built-in computer capability.

    an intelligent network or keyboard

intelligent2

nounintelligent (plural intelligents)

plural intelligents · alternative entelligent

  1. A member of the intelligentsia; an intelligent person.

    Like many Russian intelligents, the Merežkovskijs, together with Filosofov and the young student Vladimir Zlobin, fled from Russia in 1919.

    1972, Olga Matich, Paradox in the Religious Poetry of Zinaida Gippius, Wilhelm Fink, →ISBN, page 30
    3 more examples

    Now, as all intelligents are doomed to pass probationary states, it is highly probable that many intelligents, long antecedent to the foundation of our world, may have tarnished their innocence; or worse, many may have by disobedience fallen.

    1832, The Comparative Coincidence of Reason and Scripture, volume II, London: J[ohn] Hatchard and Son, […], page 253

    But if you fall away from your faith, as many intelligents have fallen away, then you will no longer be Russia or Holy Rus’, but a rabble of all kinds of other faiths who wish to destroy one another.

    2000, Nadieszda Kizenko, A Prodigal Saint: Father John of Kronstadt and the Russian People, The Pennsylvania State University Press, published 2003, →ISBN, page 248

    Many Russian intelligents, in particular scientists, that already in tsarist times were “infected” by liberal and even socialist ideas found in the revolution and the societal structure that followed, with all its horrible features, positive sides.

    2011, Evgenii L’vovich Feinberg, translated by Andrei Vladimirovich Leonidov, Physicists: Epoch and Personalities (History of Modern Physical Sciences; 4), World Scientific, →ISBN, page 43

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveHaving at least a similar level of brain power to humankind.

Similar
Narrower

More synonyms by meaning

adjectivehaving the capacity for thought and reason especially to a high degree

adjectivepossessing sound knowledge

adjectiveexercising or showing good judgment

adjectiveendowed with the capacity to reason

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

intelligent · adjective

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₁én
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₁n̥tér
  3. Proto-Italic*n̥ter
  4. Latininter
  5. Latininter-
  6. Proto-Indo-European*leǵ-
  7. Proto-Indo-European*léǵeti
  8. Proto-Italic*legō
  9. Latinlegō?
  10. Proto-Indo-European*h₂leg-
  11. Proto-Indo-European*h₂légeti
  12. Proto-Italic*legō?
  13. Latinintelligō
  14. Latinintelligēns
  15. Middle Frenchintelligent
  16. Englishintelligent

From Middle French intelligent, from Latin intellegēns (“discerning”), present active participle of intellegō (“understand, comprehend”), itself from inter (“between”) + legō (“choose, pick out, read”).

Full word history & related roots →

intelligent · noun

  1. Russianинтеллиге́нт
  2. Englishintelligent

Partly from Russian интеллиге́нт (intelligént) and partly from the adjective.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek συνετός, ἔμφρων
  • συνετός (sunetós)of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
  • ἔμφρων (émphrōn)of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
Arabic ذَكِيّ
  • ذَكِيّ (ḏakiyy)of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
Bengali বুদ্ধিমান
  • বুদ্ধিমান (buddhiman)of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
Bulgarian интелигентен, схватлив
  • интелигентен (inteligenten)of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
  • схватлив (shvatliv)of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
  • умен (umen)well thought-out, well considered
  • разумен (razumen)well thought-out, well considered
  • смислен (smislen)characterized by thoughtful interaction
Catalan intel·ligent, intel·ligent
  • intel·ligentof high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
  • intel·ligentwell thought-out, well considered
  • intel·ligentcharacterized by thoughtful interaction
Chinese Mandarin 聰明 /聪明, 聰慧 /聪慧
  • 聰明 /聪明 (cōngming)of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
  • 聰慧 /聪慧 (cōnghuì)of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
Czech inteligentní
  • inteligentníof high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
Dutch intelligent, intelligent
  • intelligentof high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
  • intelligentwell thought-out, well considered
  • doordachtwell thought-out, well considered
  • intelligentcharacterized by thoughtful interaction
Esperanto inteligenta
  • inteligentaof high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
Finnish älykäs, älykäs
  • älykäsof high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
  • älykäswell thought-out, well considered
  • älyllinencharacterized by thoughtful interaction
French intelligent, intelligent
  • intelligentof high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
  • intelligentwell thought-out, well considered
  • intelligentcharacterized by thoughtful interaction
  • intelligenthaving at least a similar level of brain power to humankind
German klug, intelligent
  • klugof high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
  • intelligentof high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
  • klugwell thought-out, well considered
  • intelligentwell thought-out, well considered
  • intelligentcharacterized by thoughtful interaction
  • intelligenthaving at least a similar level of brain power to humankind
Greek έξυπνος, έξυπνος
  • έξυπνος (éxypnos)of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
  • έξυπνος (éxypnos)well thought-out, well considered
  • νοήμων (noḯmon)having at least a similar level of brain power to humankind
Hebrew נָבוֹן
  • נָבוֹן (navón)of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
Hindi बुद्धिमान, चतुर
  • बुद्धिमान (buddhimān)of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
  • चतुर (catur)of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
  • सयाना (sayānā)of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
Hungarian intelligens
  • intelligensof high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
Icelandic gáfaður
  • gáfaðurof high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
Irish éirimiúil, meabhrach
  • éirimiúilof high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
  • meabhrachof high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
Italian intelligente, intelligente
  • intelligenteof high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
  • intelligentewell thought-out, well considered
  • intelligentecharacterized by thoughtful interaction
  • intelligentehaving at least a similar level of brain power to humankind
Japanese 聡明な, 賢い
  • 聡明な (sōmei na)of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
  • 賢い (kashikoi)of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
  • 利口な (rikō na)of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
Korean 똑똑한, 총명한
  • 똑똑한 (ttokttokhan)of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
  • 총명한 (chongmyeonghan)of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
Latin intelligens, catus
  • intelligensof high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
  • catusof high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
Latvian prātīgs, saprātīgs
  • prātīgsof high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
  • saprātīgsof high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
  • gudrsof high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
Lithuanian protingas
  • protingasof high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
Malay cerdas, pintar
  • cerdasof high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
  • pintarof high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
Māori punenga, koi te hinengaro
  • punengaof high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
  • koi te hinengaroof high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
Norwegian intelligent
  • intelligentof high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
Persian باهوش, هوشمند
  • باهوش (bâ-huš)of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
  • هوشمند (huš-mand)of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
Polish inteligentny
  • inteligentnyof high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
Portuguese inteligente, inteligente
  • inteligenteof high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
  • inteligentewell thought-out, well considered
  • inteligentecharacterized by thoughtful interaction
Punjabi ਅਕਲਮੰਦ
  • ਅਕਲਮੰਦ (akalmand)of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
Romanian inteligent, deștept
  • inteligentof high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
  • deșteptof high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
Russian у́мный, разу́мный
  • у́мный (úmnyj)of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
  • разу́мный (razúmnyj)of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
  • сообрази́тельный (soobrazítelʹnyj)of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
  • смышлёный (smyšljónyj)of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
  • поня́тливый (ponjátlivyj)of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
  • у́мный (úmnyj)well thought-out, well considered
  • проду́манный (prodúmannyj)well thought-out, well considered
  • разу́мный (razúmnyj)well thought-out, well considered
  • здра́вый (zdrávyj)well thought-out, well considered
Slovak inteligentný
  • inteligentnýof high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
Spanish inteligente, inteligente
  • inteligenteof high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
  • inteligentewell thought-out, well considered
  • inteligentecharacterized by thoughtful interaction
  • inteligentehaving at least a similar level of brain power to humankind
Swahili akili
  • akiliof high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
Swedish intelligent, klyftig
  • intelligentof high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
  • klyftigof high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
  • klokof high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
  • intelligentcharacterized by thoughtful interaction
Tagalog intelihente, matalino
  • intelihenteof high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
  • matalinoof high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
  • matalinoof high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
  • intelihentewell thought-out, well considered
  • pinag-isipanwell thought-out, well considered
  • intelihentecharacterized by thoughtful interaction
  • matalinocharacterized by thoughtful interaction
Thai ฉลาด
  • ฉลาด (chà-làat)of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
Turkish akıllı
  • akıllıof high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
Ukrainian розу́мний
  • розу́мний (rozúmnyj)of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
Urdu ہوشیار, سمجھدار
  • ہوشیار (hośiyār)of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
  • سمجھدار (samajhdār)of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
Vietnamese thông minh
  • thông minhof high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
Welsh deallus
  • deallusof high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
Cite this entry
APA

intelligent. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/intelligent

MLA

“intelligent.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/intelligent. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “intelligent,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/intelligent.

Source: intelligent on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.