intellect
English edit
Etymology edit
Borrowed from Late Latin intellēctus (“understanding, intellect”), perfect passive participle of Latin intellegō (“understand; reason”), from inter (“between, among”) + legō (“read”), with connotation of bind.
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
intellect (countable and uncountable, plural intellects)
- (uncountable) The faculty of thinking, judging, abstract reasoning, and conceptual understanding; the cognitive faculty.
- Synonyms: see Thesaurus:intelligence
- Intellect is one of man's greatest powers.
- (uncountable) The capacity of that faculty (in a particular person).
- They were chosen because of their outstanding intellect.
- 1983, “Intelligence”, in Shiver, performed by Virna Lindt:
- Arms of stripes and shirts of checks / You had a very nice intellect
- A person who has that faculty to a great degree.
- Synonym: intellectual
- Some of the world's leading intellects were meeting there.
Related terms edit
Translations edit
The faculty of knowing and reasoning; understanding
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That faculty in a particular person
A person who has that faculty in great degree
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See also edit
French edit
Etymology edit
Borrowed from Late Latin intellēctus (“understanding, intellect”), perfect passive participle of Latin intellegō (“understand; reason”).
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
intellect m (plural intellects)
Related terms edit
See also edit
Further reading edit
- “intellect”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.