noun
intellect
IHN-tuh-lehkt
noun
1
The mental capacity for reasoning, understanding, and abstract thought.
"He was known as much for his sharp intellect as for his kindness."
"The puzzle was designed to test raw intellect rather than knowledge."
How to Use Intellect
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA person's ability to think, reason, and understand things clearly.
Common mistake
Intellect refers to the mental faculty itself, while intelligence often refers to how well that faculty performs or is measured.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
sharp intellect
a fine intellect
human intellect
Word Forms
intellects plural
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He was known as much for his sharp _____ as for his kindness.
Etymology
From Latin intellectus, "understanding," from intellegere, "to understand," literally "to choose between" (inter-, "between" + legere, "to gather, choose").