in·tel·lec·tu·al

[in-tl-ek-choo-uhl]
adjective
1.
appealing to or engaging the intellect: intellectual pursuits.
2.
of or pertaining to the intellect or its use: intellectual powers.
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.
noun
6.
a person of superior intellect.
7.
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.
8.
an extremely rational person; a person who relies on intellect rather than on emotions or feelings.
9.
a person professionally engaged in mental labor, as a writer or teacher.
10.
intellectuals, Archaic.
a.
the mental faculties.
b.
things pertaining to the intellect.
00:10
Intellectual is always a great word to know.
So is lollapalooza. Does it mean:
the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.
an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.

Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin intellēctuālis, equivalent to intellēctu-, stem of intellēctus intellect + -ālis -al1

in·tel·lec·tu·al·ly, adverb
in·tel·lec·tu·al·ness, noun
half-in·tel·lec·tu·al, adjective
half-in·tel·lec·tu·al·ly, adverb
hy·per·in·tel·lec·tu·al, adjective
hy·per·in·tel·lec·tu·al·ly, adverb
hy·per·in·tel·lec·tu·al·ness, noun
non·in·tel·lec·tu·al, adjective, noun
non·in·tel·lec·tu·al·ly, adverb
non·in·tel·lec·tu·al·ness, noun
o·ver·in·tel·lec·tu·al, adjective
o·ver·in·tel·lec·tu·al·ly, adverb
o·ver·in·tel·lec·tu·al·ness, noun
pre·in·tel·lec·tu·al, adjective
pre·in·tel·lec·tu·al·ly, adverb
qua·si-in·tel·lec·tu·al, adjective
qua·si-in·tel·lec·tu·al·ly, adverb
sem·i-in·tel·lec·tu·al, adjective, noun
sem·i-in·tel·lec·tu·al·ly, adverb
su·per·in·tel·lec·tu·al, adjective, noun
su·per·in·tel·lec·tu·al·ly, adverb
un·in·tel·lec·tu·al, adjective
un·in·tel·lec·tu·al·ly, adverb

intelligent, intelligible, intellectual (see synonym study at intelligent).


1, 2. mental. 3. See intelligent.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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World English Dictionary
intellectual (ˌɪntɪˈlɛktʃʊəl) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
adj
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
 
n
4.  a person who enjoys mental activity and has highly developed tastes in art, literature, etc
5.  a person who uses or works with his intellect
6.  a highly intelligent person
 
intellectu'ality
 
n
 
intel'lectualness
 
n
 
intel'lectually
 
adv

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

intellectual
late 14c., from L. intellectualis, from intellectus "discernment, understanding," from pp. stem of intelligere "to understand, discern" (see intelligence). As a noun, attested from 1590s, "mind, intellect;" sense of "an intellectual person" is from 1650s. Intellectual property attested from 1845.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary

intellectual definition


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

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Example sentences
He was standing, hat and gloves in hand, but before departing he felt disposed
  to throw off a few more intellectual phrases.
In strictness, the vital refinements are the moral and intellectual steps.
Tang sees himself as part of an intellectual vanguard articulating an
  ideological framework for his generation.
Well, it means someone who is interested in actually enjoying life in a more
  intellectual way.
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