intellect

[in-tl-ekt] /ˈɪn tlˌɛkt/
noun
1.
the power or faculty of the mind by which one knows or understands, as distinguished from that by which one feels and that by which one wills; the understanding; the faculty of thinking and acquiring knowledge.
2.
capacity for thinking and acquiring knowledge, especially of a high or complex order; mental capacity.
3.
a particular mind or intelligence, especially of a high order.
4.
a person possessing a great capacity for thought and knowledge.
5.
minds collectively, as of a number of persons or the persons themselves.
Origin
1350-1400; Middle English < Latin intellēctus, equivalent to intelleg(ere) to understand + -tus suffix of v. action; see intelligent
Synonyms
1. reason, sense, common sense, brains. See mind.
Examples from the web for intellect
  • It's the one when the university comes together to hear a great intellect expound on a topic of lasting importance.
  • His supple intellect, burgeoning political ambitions, and organizing prowess have garnered far less attention.
  • Life is complicated, the options of the marketplace are numerous, and the human intellect is frail.
  • They include a cool intellect, single-minded ambition and a willingness to be ruthless when required.
  • But, at the same moment as the imagination soars, the intellect applies-to use the jargon of the rocketeers' trade-the brakes.
  • So do hormones, intellect and a host of other things.
  • The balance of intellect, experience, motivation and life experience.
  • Study is more evidence that humans are nothing more than a chimpanzee with an intellect they can't fully utilize.
  • What will motivate a machine intellect if it even requires motivation will be what the designers engineer into it.
  • Again the human intellect is what separates us from animals and confers us with a significant advantage.
British Dictionary definitions for intellect

intellect

/ˈɪntɪˌlɛkt/
noun
1.
the capacity for understanding, thinking, and reasoning, as distinct from feeling or wishing
2.
a mind or intelligence, esp a brilliant one: his intellect is wasted on that job
3.
(informal) a person possessing a brilliant mind; brain
4.
those possessing the greatest mental power: the intellect of a nation
Derived Forms
intellective, adjective
intellectively, adverb
Word Origin
C14: from Latin intellectus comprehension, intellect, from intellegere to understand; see intelligence
Word Origin and History for intellect
n.

late 14c. (but little used before 16c.), from Old French intellecte "intellectual capacity" (13c.), and directly from Latin intellectus "discernment, a perception, understanding," from noun use of past participle of intelligere "to understand, discern" (see intelligence).

intellect in Technology

language
A query language written by Larry Harris in 1977, close to natural English.
(1995-04-14)