intelligible

[in-tel-i-juh-buh l] /ɪnˈtɛl ɪ dʒə bəl/

adjective

capable of being understood; comprehensible; clear:

an intelligible response.

Philosophy. apprehensible by the mind only; conceptual.

Origin

1350-1400; Middle English < Latin intelligibilis, equivalent to intellig- (see intelligent) + -ibilis -ible

Related forms

intelligibleness, noun

intelligibly, adverb

half-intelligible, adjective

half-intelligibly, adverb

self-intelligible, adjective

semi-intelligible, adjective

semi-intelligibly, adverb

Can be confused

intelligent, intelligible, intellectual (see synonym study at intelligent)

Synonyms

1. distinct, lucid, coherent.

Examples from the web for intelligible

Anyone who has ever given a computer a command and received a response, intelligible or not, has used a computer operating system.
They deploy intelligible mainstream economics instead of affecting to discover new economic laws.
These apparent anomalies can be explained by intelligible logical physics.
Throughout, curry continued to shift shape, always prepared to alter its accents to become intelligible to a whole new audience.
The story of this accident has not been told so clearly or in such detail as to make it entirely intelligible.
Familiarity means these words are readily intelligible.
Yet now that same audio is intelligible and of listenable quality.
The prisoner seemed much affected and attempted to speak, but his remarks here not intelligible.
Only once this has been controlled for is it intelligible to compare policy impacts.
It would be pointless for me to respond when you can barely put together an intelligible sentence let alone a lucid thought.

British Dictionary definitions for intelligible

intelligible

/ɪnˈtɛlɪdʒəbəl/

adjective

able to be understood; comprehensible

(philosophy)

capable of being apprehended by the mind or intellect alone
(in metaphysical systems such as those of Plato or Kant) denoting that metaphysical realm which is accessible to the intellect as opposed to the world of mere phenomena accessible to the senses

Derived Forms

intelligibility, intelligibleness, noun
intelligibly, adverb

Word Origin

C14: from Latin intellegibilis; see intellect

Word Origin and History for intelligible

adj.

late 14c., "able to understand," from Latin intelligibilis, intellegibilis "that can understand, that can be understood," from intellegere "to understand" (see intelligence). In English, sense of "capable of being understood" first recorded c.1600. Related: Intelligibly.