intellectual

1 of 2

adjective

in·​tel·​lec·​tu·​al ˌin-tə-ˈlek-chə-wəl How to pronounce intellectual (audio)
-chəl, 
-shwəl, 
-chü(-ə)l
Synonyms of intellectual
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 How to pronounce intellectual (audio)
noun
intellectually
ˌin-tə-ˈlek-chə-wə-lē How to pronounce intellectual (audio)
-chə-lē, 
-shwə-lē, 
-chü(-ə)-lē
adverb
intellectualness
ˌin-tə-ˈlek-chə-wəl-nəs How to pronounce intellectual (audio)
-chəl-, 
-shwəl-, 
-chü(-ə)l-
noun

intellectual

2 of 2

noun

1
: an intellectual person
2
intellectuals plural, archaic : intellectual powers

Synonyms of intellectual

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Adjective

Noun

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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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Several iterations of the idea have since taken shape, expanding to refugees, students with intellectual and developmental disabilities, seniors with chronic illness. — Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2026 Growing intellectual interest in African American folklore generated fresh research into Hoodoo during the early 20th century, much of it collected by the Works Progress Administration in the 1930s and ’40s. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Aug. 2026
Noun
For some Muslim intellectuals and travelers, Japan’s modernization and its victory over Russia was proof that Asian nations need not be subservient to Europe or abandon their own cultural traditions. — Mimi Hanaoka, The Conversation, 11 Aug. 2026 Born in the Soviet Union in 1974, Beloozerov was raised by his mother Lena and stepfather Nikolai Beloozerov, a Soviet dissident and a mathematician, among a community of intellectuals in southwestern Moscow. — Isabelle Chapman, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for intellectual

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

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

Noun

1599, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of intellectual was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing intellectual

Rhymes for intellectual

See All Rhymes for intellectual

Browse Nearby Words

intellective
intellectual
intellectual disability
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Intellectual.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intellectual. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

intellectual

1 of 2 adjective
in·​tel·​lec·​tu·​al ˌint-ᵊl-ˈek-ch(ə-w)əl How to pronounce intellectual (audio)
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 How to pronounce intellectual (audio)
noun
intellectually
-ˈek-chə-(wə-)lē How to pronounce intellectual (audio)
adverb

intellectual

2 of 2 noun
: an intellectual person

More from Merriam-Webster on intellectual

Nglish: Translation of intellectual for Spanish Speakers

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