To have doubts about oneself is the first sign of intelligence.
Source: tatoeba (1582)
Intelligence
/ɪnˈtɛl.ɪ.d͡ʒəns/
Synonyms for "intelligence" (276 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (56)
Strong matches (82)
discernmentdiscourse of reasondiscretiondiscursive reasondispatchdocilitydopeeducabilityelectronic surveillanceenlightenmentespialespionageespritevidenceevil spiritevil spiritsexperienceexpertisefacilityfacts
Show 51 more words
factual basefactual informationfamiliarityfamiliarizationfindingsfollowingforeknowledgefourth estategengeneral informationgeniusgoodsgraspgray mattergripguidebookhandouthard informationheadheadpiecehistoryideationimaginationimpressionabilityincidental informationinfoinformationinsideinsightinstructionintellectintellectionintellectualintellectual facultyintellectualityintelligence bureauintelligence quotientintelligence serviceintelligence workintimacyiqjournalismjudgementjudgmentkeennesskenknowknow howknow-howknowingknowledge
Noun(11 words)
headinformationintelintellectsintellectual abilityintelligence activityintelligence agencyintelligence informationintelligence operationintelligence servicejudgment
Related words (138)
lightlogiclow-downmalleabilitymasterymensmental capacitymental graspmentalitymentionmessagemilitary intelligencemindmoldabilitymother witmotivationnaval intelligencenewsnews agencynews medium
Show 97 more words
news servicenewsinessnewsletternewsmagazinenewspapernewsworthinessnoticenotificationnousobservationpenetrationperceptionpercipienceperspicaciousnessperspicacityplasticitypliabilitypooppower of reasonpractical knowledgeprecognitionprehensionpresentationpresspress associationprivate knowledgeprivitypromotional materialproofpsychepublicationpublicityquicknessradioratioratio cognoscendirationalityreadinessreasonreasoningreasoning facultyreceptivityreleasereportreportagerhymesagacitysanitysavvyscoopsecret policesecret serviceself-knowledgesenseshadowingshrewdnesssidelightsmartsspecterspiritspyingstakeoutstatementsupernatural beingsurveillancesusceptibilitytailingteachabilityteachablenesstechnictechnicstechniquetelegraph agencytelevisionthe dopethe fourth estatethe goodsthe knowthe pressthe scoopthoughttidingstrailingtrainablenesstransmissionunderstandingvernunftwhite bookwhite paperwillingnesswire servicewiretapwiretappingwisdomwise manwitword
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: intellect, account, acquaintance, acumen, advice.
- Sentence evidence is available for intelligence, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wiktionary, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "intelligence".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "intelligence"
Keep "intelligence" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "intelligence" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "intelligence", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "intelligence" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
11 entriesabilityadministrative bodyadministrative unitcognitive abilitycomputinghuman attributeinfoinformationinformation gatheringpowertechnology
More specific
8 entriesemotional intelligencehuman intelligencemachine learningnatural language processingpractical intelligenceroboticssignals intelligenceverbal intelligence
Collocations
6 entriesartificial intelligenceemotional intelligenceintelligence agencyintelligence gatheringintelligence quotientmachine intelligence
Inflections
1 entriesDerivations
2 entriesAntonyms
1 entriesTranslations
45 translations across 35 languages.
Arabic
2 entries- مَعْلُومَات noun (information about the enemy)
- مُخَابَرَات noun (information about the enemy)
Azerbaijani
1 entries- kəşfiyyat məlumatı noun (information about the enemy)
Belarusian
1 entries- разведда́нныя noun (information about the enemy)
Bulgarian
1 entries- разузна́ване noun (information about the enemy)
Chinese Mandarin
1 entries- 情報 /情报 noun (information about the enemy)
Danish
1 entries- efterretninger noun (information about the enemy)
Dutch
1 entries- inlichtingen noun (information about the enemy)
Estonian
3 entries- jälitusteave noun (information about the enemy)
- luureandmed noun (information about the enemy)
- luureteave noun (information about the enemy)
Finnish
1 entries- tiedustelutieto noun (information about the enemy)
French
1 entries- renseignements noun (information about the enemy)
Georgian
2 entries- დაზვერვა noun (information about the enemy)
- სადაზვერვო მონაცემები noun (information about the enemy)
German
1 entries- Geheimdienstinformationen noun (information about the enemy)
Greek
1 entries- πληροφορία noun (information about the enemy)
Hebrew
2 entries- בִּיּוּן noun (information about the enemy)
- מוֹדִיעִין noun (information about the enemy)
Hindi
1 entries- आसूचना noun (information about the enemy)
Indonesian
1 entries- intelijen noun (information about the enemy)
Iranian Persian
1 entries- اِطِّلاعات noun (information about the enemy)
Irish
1 entries- faisnéis noun (information about the enemy)
Japanese
1 entries- 情報 noun (information about the enemy)
Javanese
1 entries- ꦮꦱꦮꦶꦢꦾ noun (information about the enemy)
Korean
2 entries- 정보 noun (information about the enemy)
- 첩보 noun (information about the enemy)
Latin
1 entries- nūntius noun (information about the enemy)
Macedonian
1 entries- разузнавање noun (information about the enemy)
Norwegian Bokmål
1 entries- etterretning noun (information about the enemy)
Norwegian Nynorsk
1 entries- etterretning noun (information about the enemy)
Polish
1 entries- wywiad noun (information about the enemy)
Portuguese
1 entries- inteligência noun (information about the enemy)
Romanian
1 entries- informații noun (information about the enemy)
Russian
3 entries- разве́дывательные да́нные noun (information about the enemy)
- разведда́нные noun (information about the enemy)
- све́дения noun (information about the enemy)
Spanish
2 entries- información noun (information about the enemy)
- inteligencia noun (information about the enemy)
Swedish
1 entries- underrättelse noun (information about the enemy)
Tagalog
1 entries- pamalay noun (information about the enemy)
Turkish
1 entries- istihbarat noun (information about the enemy)
Ukrainian
1 entries- розвідда́ні noun (information about the enemy)
Urdu
2 entries- استخبار noun (information about the enemy)
- استخبارات noun (information about the enemy)
Sample sentences
21 total sentences available.
Advertising may be described as the science of arresting the human intelligence long enough to get money from it.
Source: tatoeba (2290)
Cole's Axiom: The sum of the intelligence on the planet is a constant; the population is growing.
Source: tatoeba (2340)
Sometimes I doubt your intelligence.
Source: tatoeba (38266)
Showing 4 of 21 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "intelligence"?
Closest matches include intellect, account, acquaintance, acumen, advice.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "intelligence"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.