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
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/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.
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