intellectual

1 of 2

adjective

in·​tel·​lec·​tu·​al ˌin-tə-ˈlek-chə-wəl 

-chəl,

-shwəl,

-chü(-ə)l

1

a

: of or relating to the intellect or its use

b

: developed or chiefly guided by the intellect rather than by emotion or experience : rational

c

: requiring use of the intellect

intellectual games

2

a

: given to study, reflection, and speculation

b

: engaged in activity requiring the creative use of the intellect

intellectual playwrights

intellectuality

ˌin-tə-ˌlek-chə-ˈwa-lə-tē 

noun

intellectually

ˌin-tə-ˈlek-chə-wə-lē 

-chə-lē

-shwə-lē

-chü(-ə)-lē

adverb

intellectualness

ˌin-tə-ˈlek-chə-wəl-nəs 

-chəl-

-shwəl-

-chü(-ə)l-

noun

intellectual

2 of 2

noun

1

: an intellectual person

2

intellectuals plural, archaic : intellectual powers

Synonyms

Adjective

• blue
• cerebral
• eggheaded
• geeky
• highbrow
• highbrowed
• intellectualist
• intellectualistic
• long-haired
• longhair
• nerdish
• nerdy

Noun

• double-dome
• geek
• highbrow
• intellectualist
• longhair
• nerd

Examples of intellectual in a Sentence

Adjective

the social and intellectual life of the campus

as the daughter of college professors, she's used to being around intellectual people

Noun

He thinks that he's an intellectual, but he doesn't know what he's talking about.

She's a hard worker but she's no great intellectual.

a café where artists and intellectuals mingle

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The ribbon-cutting for a new Libertyville facility for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities highlights the need for such services in a state with thousands of people stuck on a waitlist. —Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2025

It’s been largely overlooked, but the Palisades has its own rich intellectual history. —Peter Kiefer, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Jan. 2025

Noun

The film is a lolling, ruminating afternoon bathed in sunlight and plaintive reflection as Peter vividly recalls interactions with names that will be familiar to you, like Susan Sontag, and other intellectuals and creators of the period. —Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 27 Jan. 2025

Marcy Thompson: And in the coffeehouse culture that the era is famous for, Margarethe found her way to a group of radical intellectuals who reflected her own desire for progress, the Socialist Students League. —Marcy Thompson, Scientific American, 23 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1599, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing intellectual

• anti-intellectual
• hyper-intellectual
• intellectual disability
• intellectual freedom
• intellectual property
• pseudo-intellectual

Kids Definition

intellectual

1 of 2 adjective

in·​tel·​lec·​tu·​al ˌint-ᵊl-ˈek-ch(ə-w)əl 

1

: relating to the intellect or understanding

2

: having intellect to a high degree : engaged in or given to learning and thinking

an intellectual person

3

: requiring study and thought

intellectual games

intellectuality

-ˌek-chə-ˈwal-ət-ē 

noun

intellectually

-ˈek-chə-(wə-)lē 

adverb

intellectual

2 of 2 noun

: an intellectual person