| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. |
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| intelligent |
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| SYLLABICATION: | in·tel·li·gent |
| PRONUNCIATION: |   n-t l  -jnt |
| ADJECTIVE: | 1. Having intelligence. 2. Having a high degree of intelligence; mentally acute. 3. Showing sound judgment and rationality: an intelligent decision; an intelligent solution to the problem. 4. Appealing to the intellect; intellectual: a film with witty and intelligent dialogue. 5. Computer Science Having certain data storage and processing capabilities: an intelligent terminal; intelligent peripherals. | | ETYMOLOGY: | Latin intellig ns, intelligent-, present participle of intellegere, intelligere, to perceive : inter-, inter- + legere, to choose; see leg- in Appendix I. | | OTHER FORMS: | in·tel li·gential (-jnshl) —ADJECTIVE
in·telli·gent·ly —ADVERB
| | SYNONYMS: | intelligent, bright, brilliant, knowing, quick-witted, smart, intellectual 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: Dinner at the philosopher's house was noted for its intellectual conversations.
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| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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