What does "intellectual" mean?
An intelligent, learned person, especially one who discourses about learned matters.
Intellectual
/ˌɪntəˈlɛkt͡ʃʊəl/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An intelligent, learned person, especially one who discourses about learned matters.
- Grammar: intellectual is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: abstract, abstract math tools, abstract science, academic.
- Useful contrasts: nonintellectual, visceral, banausic.
- Usage evidence: Chess is a highly intellectual game.
How to use "intellectual"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "intellectual" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "intellectual" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "intellectual" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "intellectual" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "intellectual" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "abstract" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "intellectual", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An intelligent, learned person, especially one who discourses about learned matters.
"It should be noted that there is now no intelligentsia that is not in some sense "Left". Perhaps the last right-wing intellectual was T. E. Lawrence. Since about 1930 everyone describable as an “intellectual” has lived in a state of chronic discontent with the existing order."
- 2 a person who uses the mind creatively wordnet
- 3 The intellect or understanding; mental powers or faculties. archaic
"[…] although their intellectuals had not failed in the theory of truth, yet did the inservient and brutall faculties control the suggestion of reason […]"
Adjective
- 1 Pertaining to, or performed by, the intellect; mental or cognitive.
"intellectual powers, activities, etc."
- 2 Endowed with intellect; having a keen sense of understanding; having the capacity for higher forms of knowledge or thought; characterized by intelligence or cleverness
"an intellectual person"
- 3 Suitable for exercising one's intellect; perceived by the intellect
"intellectual employments"
- 4 Relating to the understanding; treating of the mind.
"intellectual philosophy, sometimes called "mental" philosophy"
- 5 Spiritual. archaic, poetic
"I deem not profitless those fleeting moods / Of shadowy exultation; not for this, / That they are kindred to our purer mind / And intellectual life […]"
Adjective
- 1 appealing to or using the intellect wordnet
- 2 of or associated with or requiring the use of the mind wordnet
- 3 involving intelligence rather than emotions or instinct wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Chess is a highly intellectual game."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "intellectual"?
Common synonyms include: abstract, abstract math tools, abstract science, academic, academic, academic advice.
How do you use "intellectual" in a sentence?
Chess is a highly intellectual game.
How do you pronounce "intellectual"?
Pronounced /ˌɪntəˈlɛkt͡ʃʊəl/.
Etymology
From Old French intellectuel, from Latin intellectualis.