Standard Lemma guide

intelligence

noun · 12 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ɪnˈtɛl.ɪ.d͡ʒəns/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: IH2 N T EH1 L AH0 JH AH0 N S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The capacity of mind, especially to understand principles, truths, facts or meanings, acquire knowledge, and apply it to practice; the ability to comprehend and learn; the ability to process sentient experience to generate true beliefs with a justified degree of confidence.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Examples

  • 1936 Feb., F. Scott Fitzgerald, "The Crack-Up", Esquire: ...the test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: brightness, intellect, smartness, wit

Antonyms: unintelligence

2

noun

Meaning 2

The capacity of mind, especially to understand principles, truths, facts or meanings, acquire knowledge, and apply it to practice; the ability to comprehend and learn; the ability to process sentient experience to generate true beliefs with a justified degree of confidence.

An individual's expected relative performance in a cognitive test.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: human-sciences, psychology, sciences

Examples

  • intelligence quotient

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: brightness, intellect, smartness, wit

Antonyms: unintelligence

3

noun

Meaning 3

The capacity of mind, especially to understand principles, truths, facts or meanings, acquire knowledge, and apply it to practice; the ability to comprehend and learn; the ability to process sentient experience to generate true beliefs with a justified degree of confidence.

The quality of making use or having made use of such capacities: depth of understanding, mental quickness.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: brightness, intellect, smartness, wit

Antonyms: unintelligence

4

noun

Meaning 4

An entity that has such capacities.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: intelligence, sentient, sapient, sophont

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

Information, often secret, about an enemy or about hostile activities.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

Information, often secret, about an enemy or about hostile activities.

A political or military department, agency or unit designed to gather information, usually secret, about the enemy or about hostile activities.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

Acquaintance; intercourse; familiarity.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, dated, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

the operation of gathering information about an enemy

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: intelligence activity, intelligence operation

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: information gathering

Narrower terms: spying, undercover work, current intelligence, tactical intelligence, combat intelligence, strategic intelligence, signals intelligence, SIGINT, clandestine operation, overt operation, reconnaissance, reconnaissance mission, counterintelligence

9

noun

Meaning 9

the ability to comprehend; to understand and profit from experience

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: stupidity

Broader terms: ability, power

Narrower terms: brain, brainpower, learning ability, mental capacity, mentality, wit, breadth, comprehensiveness, largeness, mind, intellect, nonverbal intelligence, verbal intelligence, mental quickness, quickness, quick-wittedness, nimbleness, mental dexterity, brilliance, genius, precociousness, precocity, acuteness, acuity, sharpness, keenness, brightness, cleverness, smartness, shrewdness, astuteness, perspicacity, perspicaciousness, wits, marbles

10

noun

Meaning 10

information about recent and important events

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • they awaited news of the outcome

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: news, tidings, word

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: information, info

Narrower terms: good word, latest, update

11

noun

Meaning 11

secret information about an enemy (or potential enemy)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • we sent out planes to gather intelligence on their radar coverage

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: intelligence information

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: information, info

Narrower terms: military intelligence

12

noun

Meaning 12

a unit responsible for gathering and interpreting information about an enemy

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: intelligence service, intelligence agency

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: administrative unit, administrative body

Narrower terms: military intelligence, military intelligence agency, United States intelligence agency, Intelligence Community, National Intelligence Community, United States Intelligence Community, IC, international intelligence agency

History

Etymology

From Middle English intelligence, from Old French intelligence, from Latin intelligentia, which is from inter- (“between”) + legere (“to choose, pick out, read”), from Proto-Italic *legō (“to care”). Doublet of intelligentsia.

Across languages

Translations

297 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Ahtna: hwyaa — capacity of mind
  • Albanian: zbulimit — capacity of mind
  • Arabic: ذَكَاء (ḏakāʔ) — capacity of mind
  • Arabic: عَقْل (ʕaql) — capacity of mind
  • Aragonese: intelichencia — capacity of mind
  • Armenian: բանականություն (banakanutʻyun) — capacity of mind
  • Armenian: խելք (xelkʻ) — capacity of mind
  • Assamese: বুদ্ধি (buddhi) — capacity of mind
  • Assamese: মন (mon) — capacity of mind
  • Asturian: intelixencia — capacity of mind
  • Azerbaijani: ağıl — capacity of mind
  • Bashkir: аҡыл (aqıl) — capacity of mind
  • Belarusian: інтэле́кт (inteljékt) — capacity of mind
  • Belarusian: ро́зум (rózum) — capacity of mind
  • Belarusian: рассу́дак (rassúdak) — capacity of mind
  • Belarusian: глузд (hluzd) — capacity of mind
  • Bengali: বুদ্ধি (buddhi) — capacity of mind
  • Breton: naouegezh — capacity of mind
  • Breton: intent — capacity of mind
  • Bulgarian: ум (um) — capacity of mind
  • Bulgarian: интеле́кт (intelékt) — capacity of mind
  • Bulgarian: разсъ́дък (razsǎ́dǎk) — capacity of mind
  • Bulgarian: акъ́л (akǎ́l) — capacity of mind
  • Burmese: အသိဉာဏ် (a.si.nyan) — capacity of mind
  • Burmese: ဉာဏ (nyana.) — capacity of mind
  • Catalan: intel·ligència — capacity of mind
  • Catalan: seny — capacity of mind
  • Catalan: llestesa — capacity of mind
  • Chinese Mandarin: 心智 (xīnzhì) — capacity of mind
  • Chinese Mandarin: 智力 (zhìlì) — capacity of mind
  • Czech: inteligence — capacity of mind
  • Czech: intelekt — capacity of mind
  • Czech: rozum — capacity of mind
  • Danish: intelligens — capacity of mind
  • Dutch: intelligentie — capacity of mind
  • Esperanto: inteligenteco — capacity of mind
  • Estonian: mõistus — capacity of mind
  • Estonian: aru — capacity of mind
  • Estonian: taip — capacity of mind
  • Estonian: intellekt — capacity of mind
  • Estonian: arukus — capacity of mind
  • Estonian: intelligents — capacity of mind
  • Estonian: intelligentsus — capacity of mind
  • Estonian: nutikus — capacity of mind
  • Estonian: tarkus — capacity of mind
  • Faroese: vit — capacity of mind
  • Faroese: intelligensur — capacity of mind
  • Finnish: äly — capacity of mind
  • Finnish: älykkyys — capacity of mind
  • French: intelligence — capacity of mind
  • Galician: intelixencia — capacity of mind
  • Georgian: ჭკუა (č̣ḳua) — capacity of mind
  • Georgian: ინტელექტი (inṭelekṭi) — capacity of mind
  • Georgian: გონებრივი შესაძლებლობები (gonebrivi šesaʒleblobebi) — capacity of mind
  • German: Intelligenz — capacity of mind
  • German: Klugheit — capacity of mind
  • Greek: νοημοσύνη (noïmosýni) — capacity of mind
  • Ancient Greek: σύνεσις (súnesis) — capacity of mind
  • Hausa: fahami — capacity of mind
  • Hebrew: אִינְטֶלִיגֶנְצְיָה (inteligéntsya) — capacity of mind
  • Hebrew: תּבוּנָה (tvuná) — capacity of mind
  • Hindi: बुद्धि (buddhi) — capacity of mind
  • Hungarian: intelligencia — capacity of mind
  • Hungarian: ész — capacity of mind
  • Icelandic: greind — capacity of mind
  • Icelandic: vitsmunir — capacity of mind
  • Ido: inteligenteso — capacity of mind
  • Indonesian: kecerdasan — capacity of mind
  • Ingrian: äly — capacity of mind
  • Irish: meabhair — capacity of mind
  • Irish: éirimiúlacht — capacity of mind
  • Italian: intelligenza — capacity of mind
  • Japanese: 知性 (chisei) — capacity of mind
  • Javanese: ꦥꦫꦶꦥꦶꦤ꧀ꦠꦼꦂ (paripinter) — capacity of mind
  • Kashmiri: عَقٕل (ʿaqụl) — capacity of mind
  • Kashmiri: بۄد (bọd) — capacity of mind
  • Kashmiri: گاٹہٕ (gāṭụ) — capacity of mind
  • Kazakh: ақыл (aqyl) — capacity of mind
  • Khmer: បញ្ញា (paññaa) — capacity of mind
  • Khmer: ញាណ (ñiən) — capacity of mind
  • Korean: 지혜 (jihye) — capacity of mind
  • Korean: 이해력 (ihaeryeok) — capacity of mind
  • Korean: 지성 (jiseong) — capacity of mind
  • Korean: 지력 (jiryeok) — capacity of mind
  • Central Kurdish: هۆش (hoş) — capacity of mind
  • Northern Kurdish: hiş — capacity of mind
  • Kyrgyz: акыл (akıl) — capacity of mind
  • Lao: ປັນຍາ (pan nyā) — capacity of mind
  • Lao: ສະຫມອງ (sa mǭng) — capacity of mind
  • Latin: ingenium — capacity of mind
  • Latin: intelligentia — capacity of mind
  • Latvian: saprāts — capacity of mind
  • Latvian: gudrība — capacity of mind
  • Latvian: inteliģence — capacity of mind
  • Lithuanian: inteligencija — capacity of mind
  • Macedonian: интелигенција (inteligencija) — capacity of mind
  • Macedonian: акал (akal) — capacity of mind
  • Macedonian: ум (um) — capacity of mind
  • Malay: kecerdasan — capacity of mind
  • Mongolian: оюун ухаан (ojuun uxaan) — capacity of mind
  • Norwegian Bokmål: intelligens — capacity of mind
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: intelligens — capacity of mind
  • Church Slavic: разумъ (razumŭ) — capacity of mind
  • Old East Slavic: розумъ — capacity of mind
  • Old English: orþanc — capacity of mind
  • Iranian Persian: هوش (huš) — capacity of mind
  • Iranian Persian: عَقْل (aġl) — capacity of mind
  • Iranian Persian: هوشْمَنْدی (hušmandi) — capacity of mind
  • Polish: inteligencja — capacity of mind
  • Polish: intelekt — capacity of mind
  • Polish: rozum — capacity of mind
  • Polish: um — capacity of mind
  • Polish: rozsądek — capacity of mind
  • Portuguese: inteligência — capacity of mind
  • Punjabi: ਅਕਲ (akal) — capacity of mind
  • Romanian: inteligență — capacity of mind
  • Romanian: deșteptăciune — capacity of mind
  • Russian: интелле́кт (intellékt) — capacity of mind
  • Russian: интеллиге́нтность (intelligéntnostʹ) — capacity of mind
  • Russian: ра́зум (rázum) — capacity of mind
  • Russian: рассу́док (rassúdok) — capacity of mind
  • Russian: ум (um) — capacity of mind
  • Sanskrit: प्रज्ञा (prajñā) — capacity of mind
  • Sanskrit: मनस् (manas) — capacity of mind
  • Sanskrit: क्रतु (kratu) — capacity of mind
  • Serbo-Croatian: интелигѐнција — capacity of mind
  • Serbo-Croatian: у̑м — capacity of mind
  • Serbo-Croatian: ра̏зӯм — capacity of mind
  • Serbo-Croatian: inteligèncija — capacity of mind
  • Serbo-Croatian: ȗm — capacity of mind
  • Serbo-Croatian: rȁzūm — capacity of mind
  • Slovak: inteligencia — capacity of mind
  • Slovak: intelekt — capacity of mind
  • Slovak: um — capacity of mind
  • Slovak: rozum — capacity of mind
  • Slovene: inteligenca — capacity of mind
  • Slovene: razum — capacity of mind
  • Southern Altai: агыл (agïl) — capacity of mind
  • Spanish: inteligencia — capacity of mind
  • Spanish: sabiola (Americanism) — capacity of mind
  • Swedish: intelligens — capacity of mind
  • Tagalog: katalinuhan — capacity of mind
  • Tagalog: talino — capacity of mind
  • Tajik: ҳӯш (hüš) — capacity of mind
  • Tajik: ақл (aql) — capacity of mind
  • Tajik: зеҳн (zehn) — capacity of mind
  • Tatar: акыл (aqıl) — capacity of mind
  • Telugu: మేధస్సు (mēdhassu) — capacity of mind
  • Thai: ปรีชา (bprii-chaa) — capacity of mind
  • Thai: เมธา (mee-taa) — capacity of mind
  • Thai: สมอง (sà-mɔ̌ɔng) — capacity of mind
  • Thai: ปัญญา (bpan-yaa) — capacity of mind
  • Turkish: zekâ — capacity of mind
  • Turkish: akıl — capacity of mind
  • Turkish: anlayış — capacity of mind
  • Ottoman Turkish: هوش (huş) — capacity of mind
  • Ottoman Turkish: عقل (ʼakl, ʼakıl) — capacity of mind
  • Turkmen: akyl — capacity of mind
  • Ukrainian: інтеле́кт (intelékt) — capacity of mind
  • Ukrainian: ро́зум (rózum) — capacity of mind
  • Ukrainian: розсу́док (rozsúdok) — capacity of mind
  • Ukrainian: глузд (hluzd) — capacity of mind
  • Urdu: عَقْل ('aql) — capacity of mind
  • Uyghur: ئەقىل (eqil) — capacity of mind
  • Uzbek: aql — capacity of mind
  • Vietnamese: trí tuệ — capacity of mind
  • Vietnamese: trí thông minh — capacity of mind
  • Vietnamese: trí năng — capacity of mind
  • Welsh: dealltwriaeth — capacity of mind
  • Woiwurrung: yurlendj — capacity of mind
  • Yiddish: שׂכל (seykhl) — capacity of mind
  • Zazaki: aqil — capacity of mind
  • Zazaki: fam — capacity of mind
  • Catalan: intel·ligència — entity that has such capacities
  • Chinese Mandarin: 智能 (qíngbào) — entity that has such capacities
  • Czech: inteligence — entity that has such capacities
  • Danish: intelligens — entity that has such capacities
  • Dutch: intelligent wezen — entity that has such capacities
  • Esperanto: inteligento — entity that has such capacities
  • Estonian: intelligents — entity that has such capacities
  • German: intelligentes Leben — entity that has such capacities
  • Greek: νοήμων (noḯmon) — entity that has such capacities
  • Irish: intleacht — entity that has such capacities
  • Macedonian: интелиге́нција (inteligéncija) — entity that has such capacities
  • Portuguese: inteligência — entity that has such capacities
  • Romanian: inteligență — entity that has such capacities
  • Russian: интеллиге́нция (intelligéncija) — entity that has such capacities
  • Serbo-Croatian: интелигѐнција — entity that has such capacities
  • Serbo-Croatian: inteligèncija — entity that has such capacities
  • Swedish: intelligens — entity that has such capacities
  • Turkish: akıllı yaşam — entity that has such capacities
  • Arabic: مَعْلُومَات (maʕlūmāt) — information about the enemy
  • Arabic: مُخَابَرَات (muḵābarāt) — information about the enemy
  • Azerbaijani: kəşfiyyat məlumatı — information about the enemy
  • Belarusian: разведда́нныя (razvjeddánnyja) — information about the enemy
  • Bulgarian: разузна́ване (razuznávane) — information about the enemy
  • Chinese Mandarin: 情報 /情报 (qíngbào) — information about the enemy
  • Danish: efterretninger — information about the enemy
  • Dutch: inlichtingen — information about the enemy
  • Estonian: luureandmed — information about the enemy
  • Estonian: jälitusteave — information about the enemy
  • Estonian: luureteave — information about the enemy
  • Finnish: tiedustelutieto — information about the enemy
  • French: renseignements — information about the enemy
  • Georgian: დაზვერვა (dazverva) — information about the enemy
  • Georgian: სადაზვერვო მონაცემები (sadazvervo monacemebi) — information about the enemy
  • German: Geheimdienstinformationen — information about the enemy
  • Greek: πληροφορία (pliroforía) — information about the enemy
  • Hebrew: מוֹדִיעִין (modi'ín) — information about the enemy
  • Hebrew: בִּיּוּן (biyún) — information about the enemy
  • Hindi: आसूचना (āsūcnā) — information about the enemy
  • Indonesian: intelijen — information about the enemy
  • Irish: faisnéis — information about the enemy
  • Japanese: 情報 (jōhō) — information about the enemy
  • Javanese: ꦮꦱꦮꦶꦢꦾ (wasawidya) — information about the enemy
  • Korean: 정보 (jeongbo) — information about the enemy
  • Korean: 첩보 (cheopbo) — information about the enemy
  • Latin: nūntius — information about the enemy
  • Macedonian: разузнавање (razuznavanje) — information about the enemy
  • Norwegian Bokmål: etterretning — information about the enemy
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: etterretning — information about the enemy
  • Iranian Persian: اِطِّلاعات (ettelâ'ât) — information about the enemy
  • Polish: wywiad — information about the enemy
  • Portuguese: inteligência — information about the enemy
  • Romanian: informații — information about the enemy
  • Russian: разведда́нные (razveddánnyje) — information about the enemy
  • Russian: разве́дывательные да́нные (razvédyvatelʹnyje dánnyje) — information about the enemy
  • Russian: све́дения (svédenija) — information about the enemy
  • Spanish: información — information about the enemy
  • Spanish: inteligencia — information about the enemy
  • Swedish: underrättelse — information about the enemy
  • Tagalog: pamalay — information about the enemy
  • Turkish: istihbarat — information about the enemy
  • Ukrainian: розвідда́ні (rozviddáni) — information about the enemy
  • Urdu: استخبار (istixbār) — information about the enemy
  • Urdu: استخبارات (istixbārāt) — information about the enemy
  • Afrikaans: intelligensie — department, agency or unit
  • Arabic: جِهَاز الْمُخَابَرَات (jihāz al-muḵābarāt) — department, agency or unit
  • Arabic: مُخَابَرَات (muḵābarāt) — department, agency or unit
  • Armenian: հետախուզություն (hetaxuzutʻyun) — department, agency or unit
  • Azerbaijani: kəşfiyyat — department, agency or unit
  • Basque: inteligentzia — department, agency or unit
  • Belarusian: разве́дка (razvjédka) — department, agency or unit
  • Belarusian: выве́дка (vyvjédka) — department, agency or unit
  • Bulgarian: разузна́ване (razuznávane) — department, agency or unit
  • Catalan: intel·ligència — department, agency or unit
  • Chinese Mandarin: 情報機構 /情报机构 (qíngbào jīgòu) — department, agency or unit
  • Czech: zpravodajská služba — department, agency or unit
  • Czech: rozvědka — department, agency or unit
  • Danish: efterretningstjeneste — department, agency or unit
  • Dutch: inlichtingendienst — department, agency or unit
  • Estonian: luure — department, agency or unit
  • Faroese: fregnartænasta — department, agency or unit
  • Finnish: sotilastiedustelu — department, agency or unit
  • French: renseignements — department, agency or unit
  • Galician: intelixencia — department, agency or unit
  • Georgian: სადაზვერვო სამსახური (sadazvervo samsaxuri) — department, agency or unit
  • Georgian: დაზვერვის ორგანო (dazvervis organo) — department, agency or unit
  • German: Geheimdienst — department, agency or unit
  • German: Nachrichtendienst — department, agency or unit
  • German: Sicherheitsdienst — department, agency or unit
  • Greek: υπηρεσία πληροφοριών (ypiresía pliroforión) — department, agency or unit
  • Hebrew: אגף המודיעין (agaf ha'modi'in) — department, agency or unit
  • Hindi: आसूचना (āsūcnā) — department, agency or unit
  • Hungarian: hírszerzés — department, agency or unit
  • Icelandic: leyniþjónusta — department, agency or unit
  • Indonesian: intelijen — department, agency or unit
  • Indonesian: dinas intelijen — department, agency or unit
  • Irish: rannóg faisnéise — department, agency or unit
  • Japanese: 情報機関 (jōhō kikan) — department, agency or unit
  • Kazakh: барлау (barlau) — department, agency or unit
  • Korean: 정보기관 (jeongbogigwan) — department, agency or unit
  • Kyrgyz: разведка (razvedka) — department, agency or unit
  • Macedonian: разузна́вачка слу́жба (razuznávačka slúžba) — department, agency or unit
  • Iranian Persian: اِطِّلاعات (ettelâ'ât) — department, agency or unit
  • Polish: wywiad — department, agency or unit
  • Portuguese: inteligência — department, agency or unit
  • Romanian: serviciu de informații — department, agency or unit
  • Russian: разве́дка (razvédka) — department, agency or unit
  • Russian: разведслу́жба (razvedslúžba) — department, agency or unit
  • Serbo-Croatian: обавештајна служба — department, agency or unit
  • Serbo-Croatian: обавјештајна служба — department, agency or unit
  • Serbo-Croatian: obaveštajna služba — department, agency or unit
  • Serbo-Croatian: obavještajna služba — department, agency or unit
  • Slovak: spravodajská služba — department, agency or unit
  • Slovak: rozviedka — department, agency or unit
  • Slovene: obveščevalna služba — department, agency or unit
  • Spanish: inteligencia — department, agency or unit
  • Swedish: underrättelsetjänst — department, agency or unit
  • Tagalog: pamalayan — department, agency or unit
  • Tajik: разведка (razvedka) — department, agency or unit
  • Turkish: istihbarat teşkilatı — department, agency or unit
  • Turkmen: razwedka — department, agency or unit
  • Ukrainian: ро́звідка (rózvidka) — department, agency or unit
  • Ukrainian: розві́дка (rozvídka) — department, agency or unit
  • Uyghur: رازۋېدكا (razwëdka) — department, agency or unit
  • Uzbek: razvedka — department, agency or unit
Real reading context

intelligence in complete knowledge articles