intelligence

[in-tel-i-juh ns] /ɪnˈtɛl ɪ dʒəns/
noun
1.
capacity for learning, reasoning, understanding, and similar forms of mental activity; aptitude in grasping truths, relationships, facts, meanings, etc.
2.
manifestation of a high mental capacity:
He writes with intelligence and wit.
3.
the faculty of understanding.
4.
knowledge of an event, circumstance, etc., received or imparted; news; information.
5.
the gathering or distribution of information, especially secret information.
6.
Government.
  1. information about an enemy or a potential enemy.
  2. the evaluated conclusions drawn from such information.
  3. an organization or agency engaged in gathering such information:
    military intelligence; naval intelligence.
7.
interchange of information:
They have been maintaining intelligence with foreign agents for years.
8.
Christian Science. a fundamental attribute of God, or infinite Mind.
9.
(often initial capital letter) an intelligent being or spirit, especially an incorporeal one, as an angel.
Origin
1350-1400; Middle English < Latin intelligentia. See intelligent, -ence
Related forms
hyperintelligence, noun
nonintelligence, noun
preintelligence, noun
superintelligence, noun
Synonyms
1. See mind. 2. discernment, reason, acumen, aptitude, penetration.
Antonyms
2. stupidity.
Examples from the web for intelligence
  • They live secret lives, surviving on stealth and intelligence.
  • Many explanations for the evolution of primate intelligence relate to the challenges of finding food.
  • The idea of the neurons' centrality to social intelligence is gaining ground.
  • Low hanging fruit from a guy who should have the experience and intelligence to dig deeper.
  • The freedom gave him courage to meet any contradiction, and intelligence enough to ignore it.
  • He suspects the intelligence or the heart of his friend.
  • To the soul they give intelligence and that delectation that cometh of the contemplation of truth.
  • Furthermore, crows may provide clues to understanding human intelligence.
  • While hyenas are known as scavengers, they also possess great intelligence and skill on the hunt.
  • Octopuses of many species are well known for their intelligence.
British Dictionary definitions for intelligence

intelligence

/ɪnˈtɛlɪdʒəns/
noun
1.
the capacity for understanding; ability to perceive and comprehend meaning
2.
good mental capacity: a person of intelligence
3.
(old-fashioned) news; information
4.
military information about enemies, spies, etc
5.
a group or department that gathers or deals with such information
6.
(often capital) an intelligent being, esp one that is not embodied
7.
(modifier) of or relating to intelligence: an intelligence network
Derived Forms
intelligential, adjective
Word Origin
C14: from Latin intellegentia, from intellegere to discern, comprehend, literally: choose between, from inter- + legere to choose
Word Origin and History for intelligence
n.

late 14c., "faculty of understanding," from Old French intelligence (12c.), from Latin intelligentia, intellegentia "understanding, power of discerning; art, skill, taste," from intelligentem (nominative intelligens) "discerning," present participle of intelligere "to understand, comprehend," from inter- "between" (see inter-) + legere "choose, pick out, read" (see lecture (n.)).

Meaning superior understanding, sagacity" is from early 15c. Sense of "information, news" first recorded mid-15c., especially "secret information from spies" (1580s). Intelligence quotient first recorded 1921 (see I.Q.).

intelligence in Medicine

intelligence in·tel·li·gence (ĭn-těl'ə-jəns)
n.

  1. The capacity to acquire and apply knowledge, especially toward a purposeful goal.

  2. An individual's relative standing on two quantitative indices, namely measured intelligence, as expressed by an intelligence quotient, and effectiveness of adaptive behavior.