intelligence

English Online Dictionary. What means intelligence‎? What does intelligence mean?

English

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɪnˈtɛl.ɪ.d͡ʒəns/
• Hyphenation: in‧tel‧li‧gence

Noun

intelligence (countable and uncountable, plural intelligences)

1. (chiefly uncountable) 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.
   • 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.
2. (chiefly uncountable) The quality of making use or having made use of such capacities: depth of understanding, mental quickness.
3. (countable) An entity that has such capacities.
4. (chiefly uncountable) Information, often secret, about an enemy or about hostile activities.
5. (countable) A political or military department, agency or unit designed to gather information, usually secret, about the enemy or about hostile activities.
6. (dated) Acquaintance; intercourse; familiarity.

Synonyms

• (capacity of mind): wit, intellect, brightness
• (entity): see Thesaurus:sentient
• See also Thesaurus:intelligence

Antonyms

• unintelligence

Derived terms

Translations

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin intelligentia (“discernment, intelligence”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɛ̃.tɛ.li.ʒɑ̃s/ ~ /ɛ̃.te.li.ʒɑ̃s/

Noun

intelligence f (plural intelligences)

1. intelligence; cleverness

2. comprehension

Derived terms

• être d’intelligence
• intelligence artificielle

Further reading

• “intelligence”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from English intelligence. Doublet of intelligenza and intellighenzia.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /inˈtɛl.li.d͡ʒens/
• Rhymes: -ɛllidʒens

Noun

intelligence f (invariable)

1. a political or military department, agency or unit designed to gather information

References

Middle English

Alternative forms

• intelligens

Etymology

From Old French intelligence, from Latin intellegentia.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /inˈtɛlid͡ʒɛns(ə)/

Noun

intelligence (uncountable)

1. comprehension

Descendants

• English: intelligence
• Yola: tellgence, talligence

References

• “intelliǧence, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Middle French

Noun

intelligence f (plural intelligences)

1. intelligence
2. comprehension

Old French

Noun

intelligence oblique singular, f (oblique plural intelligences, nominative singular intelligence, nominative plural intelligences)

1. comprehension
2. meaning
3. ability to comprehend

Descendants

• French: intelligence
• → Middle English: intelligence, intelligens
  • English: intelligence
  • Yola: tellgence, talligence

References

• Godefroy, Frédéric, Dictionnaire de l’ancienne langue française et de tous ses dialectes du IX^e au XV^e siècle (1881) (intelligence, supplement)