Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Intelligent
In-tel′li-gent
,Adj.
[L.
intelligens
, intellegens
, -entis
, p. pr. of intelligere
, intellegere
, to perceive; inter
between + legere
to gather, collect, choose: cf. F. intelligent
. See Legend
.] 1.
Endowed with the faculty of understanding or reason;
as, man is an
. intelligent
being2.
Possessed of a high level of intelligence, education, or judgment; knowing; sensible; skilled; exhibiting high intelligence;
as, an
intelligent
young man; an intelligent
architect; an intelligent
answer.3.
Cognizant; aware; communicative.
[Obs.]
Intelligent
of seasons. Milton.
Syn. – Sensible; understanding. See
Sensible
. Webster 1828 Edition
Intelligent
INTEL'LIGENT
,Adj.
1.
Endowed with the faculty of understanding or reason. Man is an intelligent being.2.
Knowing; understanding; well informed; skilled; as an intelligent officer; an intelligent young man; an intelligent architect; sometimes followed by of; as intelligent of seasons.3.
Giving information. [Not used nor proper.]Definition 2025
intelligent
intelligent
See also: intel·ligent
English
Alternative forms
Adjective
intelligent (comparative more intelligent or intelligenter, superlative most intelligent or intelligentest)
- Of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright.
- 1927, F. E. Penny, chapter 5, in Pulling the Strings:
- 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.”
-
- Well thought-out, well considered.
- The engineer had a very intelligent design proposal for the new car.
- The general devised an intelligent strategy for the southern campaign.
- Characterized by thoughtful interaction.
- My girlfriend and I had an intelligent conversation.
- Having the same level of brain power as mankind.
- The hunt for intelligent life.
- Having an environment-sensing automatically-invoked built-in computer capability.
- An intelligent network or keyboard.
Synonyms
- See also Wikisaurus:intelligent
Antonyms
Translations
of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright
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well thought-out, well considered
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characterized by thoughtful interaction
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Danish
Etymology
From French intelligent.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /enteliɡɛnt/, [entˢeliˈɡ̊ɛnˀd̥]
Adjective
intelligent
Inflection
| Inflection of intelligent | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Positive | Comparative | Superlative | |
| Common singular | intelligent | — | —2 |
| Neuter singular | intelligent | — | —2 |
| Plural | intelligente | — | —2 |
| Definite attributive1 | intelligente | — | — |
| 1) When an adjective is applied predicatively to something definite, the corresponding "indefinite" form is used. 2) The "indefinite" superlatives may not be used attributively. | |||
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related terms
Derived terms
References
Dutch
Pronunciation
Etymology
From French intelligent, from Latin intellegēns (“discerning”), present active participle of intellegō (“understand, comprehend”), itself from inter (“between”) + legō (“choose, pick out, read”).
Adjective
intelligent (comparative intelligenter, superlative intelligentst)
- intelligent, bright, smart
Inflection
| Inflection of intelligent | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| uninflected | intelligent | |||
| inflected | intelligente | |||
| comparative | intelligenter | |||
| positive | comparative | superlative | ||
| predicative/adverbial | intelligent | intelligenter | het intelligentst het intelligentste |
|
| indefinite | m./f. sing. | intelligente | intelligentere | intelligentste |
| n. sing. | intelligent | intelligenter | intelligentste | |
| plural | intelligente | intelligentere | intelligentste | |
| definite | intelligente | intelligentere | intelligentste | |
| partitive | intelligents | intelligenters | — | |
Related terms
- intellect
- intellectueel m & adjective
- intelligentia
- intelligentie
French
Etymology
From Latin intellegēns (“discerning”), present active participle of intellegō (“understand, comprehend”), itself from inter (“between”) + legō (“choose, pick out, read”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɛ̃teliʒɑ̃/
Adjective
intelligent m (feminine singular intelligente, masculine plural intelligents, feminine plural intelligentes)
Derived terms
Related terms
German
Etymology
From Latin intellegēns (“discerning”), present active participle of intellegō (“understand, comprehend”), itself from inter (“between”) + legō (“choose, pick out, read”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ʔɪntɛliˈɡɛnt/
Adjective
intelligent (comparative intelligenter, superlative am intelligentesten)
- intelligent
- 2010, Der Spiegel, issue 5/2010, page 100:
- Delphine sind die mit Abstand intelligentesten aller Tiere.
- Dolphins are by far the most intelligent of all animals.
- Delphine sind die mit Abstand intelligentesten aller Tiere.
- 2010, Der Spiegel, issue 5/2010, page 100:
Declension
Positive forms of intelligent
Comparative forms of intelligent
Superlative forms of intelligent
Related terms
Swedish
Adjective
intelligent
| Common, singular | Neuter, singular | Plural | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indefinite | Definite, sexus masculine | Definite, other sexus | Indefinite | Definite | ||||
| Absolute | intelligent | intelligente | intelligenta | intelligent | intelligenta | intelligenta | ||
| Comparative | intelligentare, mer intelligent | |||||||
| Superlative | attribute | -- | intelligentaste, mest intelligenta | intelligentaste, mest intelligenta | -- | intelligentaste, mest intelligenta | intelligentaste, mest intelligenta | |
| predicative | intelligentast, mest intelligent | intelligentaste, mest intelligenta | intelligentaste, mest intelligenta | intelligentast, mest intelligent | intelligentaste, mest intelligenta | intelligentaste, mest intelligenta | ||