intellect
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
the power of your mind to think, learn, and understand things that are not simple.
the faculty of reasoning and understanding objectively, especially with regard to abstract or academic matters. Uncountable in this sense.
Simple“She used her intellect to solve the complex puzzle that had confused everyone else.”
In context“The philosopher argued that human intellect is what distinguishes our species from other animals, allowing for the creation of complex moral systems.”
Synonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
a person who is very intelligent and enjoys thinking about serious or difficult ideas.
a person of superior mental ability, typically one who engages in academic or creative pursuits. Countable in this sense.
Simple“The university invited the greatest intellects of the century to speak at the event.”
In context“Though he was a brilliant scientist, he struggled to communicate his findings to those who were not fellow intellects in his field.”
Synonyms
Borrowed from Late Latin intellēctus (“understanding, intellect”), from Latin intellegō (“understand; reason”), from inter (“between, among”) + legō (“read”), with connotation of bind.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.