intelligent - Definitions from Dictionary.com

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Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

in·tel·li·gent

Audio Help [in-tel-i-juh

nt] Pronunciation Key

–adjective

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

2.	displaying or characterized by quickness of understanding, sound thought, or good judgment: an intelligent reply.

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. Compare dumb (def. 8).

5.	Archaic. having understanding or knowledge (usually fol. by of).

[Origin: 1500–10; < L intelligent- (s. of intelligéns, prp. of intelligere, var. of intellegere to understand, lit., choose between), equiv. to intel- (var. of inter- inter-) + -lig- (comb. form of leg-, s. of legere to pick up, choose; cf. lection) + -ent- -ent

]

—Related forms

in·tel·li·gent·ly, adverb

—Synonyms 1. bright. 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. 2. astute, clever, alert, bright, apt, discerning, shrewd, smart. See sharp.

—Antonyms 1, 2. stupid.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
intelligent

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

in·tel·li·gent Audio Help (ĭn-těl'ə-jənt) Pronunciation Key
adj.

Having intelligence.
Having a high degree of intelligence; mentally acute.
Showing sound judgment and rationality: an intelligent decision; an intelligent solution to the problem.
Appealing to the intellect; intellectual: a film with witty and intelligent dialogue.
Computer Science Having certain data storage and processing capabilities: an intelligent terminal; intelligent peripherals.

[Latin intelligēns, intelligent-, present participle of intellegere, intelligere, to perceive : inter-, inter- + legere, to choose; see leg- in Indo-European roots.]

in·tel'li·gen'tial (-jěn'shəl) adj., in·tel'li·gent·ly adv.

Synonyms: These adjectives mean having or showing mental keenness. Intelligent usually implies the ability to cope with new problems and to use the power of reasoning and inference effectively: The intelligent math students excelled in calculus.
Bright implies quickness or ease in learning: The bright child learned the alphabet quickly.
Brilliant suggests unusually impressive mental acuteness: "The dullard's envy of brilliant men is always assuaged by the suspicion that they will come to a bad end" (Max Beerbohm).
Knowing implies the possession of knowledge, information, or understanding: Knowing collectors bought all the auctioned paintings.
Quick-witted suggests mental alertness and prompt response: The quick-witted emergency medical staff averted a tragedy.
Smart refers to quick intelligence and often a ready capability for taking care of one's own interests: Smart lawyers can effectively manipulate juries.
Intellectual implies the capacity to grasp difficult or abstract concepts: The former professor was the more intellectual candidate.

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

intelligent
adjective
1.	having the capacity for thought and reason especially to a high degree; "is there intelligent life in the universe?"; "an intelligent question" [ant: stupid]
2.	possessing sound knowledge; "well-informed readers"
3.	exercising or showing good judgment; "healthy scepticism"; "a healthy fear of rattlesnakes"; "the healthy attitude of French laws"; "healthy relations between labor and management"; "an intelligent solution"; "a sound approach to the problem"; "sound advice"; "no sound explanation for his decision" [syn: healthy]
4.	endowed with the capacity to reason

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
intelligent1 [inˈtelidʒənt] adjective

(negative unintelligent) clever and quick at understanding
Example: an intelligent child; That dog is so intelligent.

Arabic:	ذَكي
Chinese (Simplified):	理解力强的
Chinese (Traditional):	理解力強的
Czech:	inteligentní
Danish:	intelligent; begavet
Dutch:	intelligent
Estonian:	arukas, nutikas
Finnish:	älykäs
French:	intelligent
German:	intelligent
Greek:	ευφυής, έξυπνος
Hungarian:	értelmes
Icelandic:	greindur, gáfaður
Indonesian:	cerdas
Italian:	intelligente

Japanese:	聡明な
Korean:	총명한
Latvian:	gudrs; apķērīgs
Lithuanian:	protingas
Norwegian:	intelligent, forstandig
Polish:	inteligentny
Portuguese (Brazil):	inteligente
Portuguese (Portugal):	inteligente
Romanian:	inteligent, deştept
Russian:	смышлёный
Slovak:	inteligentný
Slovenian:	bister
Spanish:	inteligente
Swedish:	intelligent
Turkish:	zeki, akıllı

intelligent2 [inˈtelidʒənt] adjective

showing these qualities
Example: an intelligent question

Arabic:	يَنِمُّ عن الذَّكاء
Chinese (Simplified):	聪敏的
Chinese (Traditional):	聰敏的
Czech:	inteligentní
Danish:	intelligent; begavet
Dutch:	intelligent
Estonian:	arukas, nutikas
Finnish:	älykäs
French:	intelligent
German:	intelligent
Greek:	έξυπνος
Hungarian:	intelligens
Icelandic:	gáfulegur, skynsamlegur
Indonesian:	cerdas
Italian:	intelligente

Japanese:	気のきいた
Korean:	재치 있는
Latvian:	gudrs; apķērīgs
Lithuanian:	protingas
Norwegian:	intelligent, vettug
Polish:	mądry
Portuguese (Brazil):	inteligente
Portuguese (Portugal):	inteligente
Romanian:	inteligent
Russian:	(раз)умный
Slovak:	inteligentný
Slovenian:	pameten
Spanish:	inteligente
Swedish:	intelligent
Turkish:	akıllıca, zekice

See also: intelligence

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Intelligent

In"tel*lect\, n. [L. intellectus, fr. intelligere, intellectum, to understand: cf. intellect. See Intelligent.] (Metaph.) The part or faculty of the human soul by which it knows, as distinguished from the power to feel and to will; sometimes, the capacity for higher forms of knowledge, as distinguished from the power to perceive objects in their relations; the power to judge and comprehend; the thinking faculty; the understanding.

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