intelligent
adjective · noun
Simple meaning
Having the capacity for thought and reason usually to a high degree.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
ihntehluhjuhntSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ɪnˈtɛlədʒənt
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
adjective
Having the capacity for thought and reason especially to a high degree
“Is there intelligent life in the universe?”
Of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright.
Having at least a similar level of brain power to humankind.
Well thought-out, well considered.
Characterized by thoughtful interaction.
noun
A member of the intelligentsia; an intelligent person.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B1 · Intermediate
- Frequency
- Common
- Typical Use
- Everyday English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: Having the capacity for thought and reason especially to a high degree
Used this way, intelligent is a common word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
“Is there intelligent life in the universe?”
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Common
- Connotation
- No strong connotation
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use intelligent
- “Is there intelligent life in the universe?”adjective
Share your sentence
Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Word family
Words built from the same root.
In an intelligent manner.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: having the capacity for thought and reason especially to a high degree
Antonyms
Sense: having the capacity for thought and reason especially to a high degree
Use This Word
See how this word sounds in a real sentence.
Ask Vocabaura
Understand the word your way.
What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Related Learning
Guides that use this word in context.
Use it yourself
Knowing “intelligent” starts when you use it. Pick a next step, all free.
Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.