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intellectual

   Also found in: Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.04 sec.
in·tel·lec·tu·al  (ntl-kch-l)
adj.
1.
a. Of or relating to the intellect.
b. Rational rather than emotional.
2. Appealing to or engaging the intellect: an intellectual book; an intellectual problem.
3.
a. Having or showing intellect, especially to a high degree. See Synonyms at intelligent.
b. Given to activities or pursuits that require exercise of the intellect.
n.
An intellectual person.

[Middle English, from Old French intellectuel, from Late Latin intellctulis, from Latin intellctus, intellect; see intellect.]

intel·lectu·ali·ty (-l-t) n.
intel·lectu·al·ly adv.
intel·lectu·al·ness n.

intellectual
Adjective
1. of, involving, or appealing to the intellect: intellectual literature
2. clever or intelligent
Noun
a person who has a highly developed intellect
intellectuality n
intellectually adv
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.intellectualintellectual - a person who uses the mind creatively
individual, mortal, person, somebody, someone, soul - a human being; "there was too much for one person to do"
anomalist - someone who has a special interest in exceptional cases
exponent - someone who expounds and interprets or explains
alchemist - one who was versed in the practice of alchemy and who sought an elixir of life and a panacea and an alkahest and the philosopher's stone
aphorist - someone who formulates aphorisms or who repeats aphorisms
bel esprit - a witty or clever person with a fine mind
clever clogs, clever Dick - an intellectual who is ostentatiously and irritatingly knowledgeable
decipherer, decoder - the kind of intellectual who converts messages from a code to plain text
egghead - an intellectual; a very studious and academic person; "in spite of her love of reading she denied being an egghead"
expositor, expounder - a person who explains
brainiac, genius, mastermind, Einstein, brain - someone who has exceptional intellectual ability and originality; "Mozart was a child genius"; "he's smart but he's no Einstein"
highbrow - a person of intellectual or erudite tastes
mentor, wise man - a wise and trusted guide and advisor
bookman, scholar, scholarly person, student - a learned person (especially in the humanities); someone who by long study has gained mastery in one or more disciplines
doubter, sceptic, skeptic - someone who habitually doubts accepted beliefs
specifier - someone who draws up specifications giving details (as for obtaining a patent)
subjectivist - a person who subscribes to subjectivism
synthesiser, synthesist, synthesizer - an intellectual who synthesizes or uses synthetic methods
idealogue, theoretician, theoriser, theorist, theorizer - someone who theorizes (especially in science or art)
creative thinker, thinker, mind - an important intellectual; "the great minds of the 17th century"
thinker - someone who exercises the mind (usually in an effort to reach a decision)
illusionist, seer, visionary - a person with unusual powers of foresight
wonderer - someone who is curious about something
Adj.1.intellectual - of or associated with or requiring the use of the mind; "intellectual problems"; "the triumph of the rational over the animal side of man"
mental - involving the mind or an intellectual process; "mental images of happy times"; "mental calculations"; "in a terrible mental state"; "mental suffering"; "free from mental defects"
2.intellectual - appealing to or using the intellect; "satire is an intellectual weapon"; "intellectual workers engaged in creative literary or artistic or scientific labor"; "has tremendous intellectual sympathy for oppressed people"; "coldly intellectual"; "sort of the intellectual type"; "intellectual literature"
educated - possessing an education (especially having more than average knowledge)
mental - involving the mind or an intellectual process; "mental images of happy times"; "mental calculations"; "in a terrible mental state"; "mental suffering"; "free from mental defects"
scholarly - characteristic of scholars or scholarship; "scholarly pursuits"; "a scholarly treatise"; "a scholarly attitude"
nonintellectual - not intellectual
3.intellectual - involving intelligence rather than emotions or instinct; "a cerebral approach to the problem"; "cerebral drama"

intellectual
noun 2. academic, expert, genius, thinker, master, brain (informal) mastermind, maestro, highbrow, rocket scientist (informal), chiefly U.S. egghead (informal) brainbox, bluestocking (usually disparaging) master-hand, fundi S. African acca Austral. (slang) << OPPOSITE idiot
Translations
Spanish intellectual [ɪntəˈlɛktjuəl] adj, nintelectual m/f
French intellectual [ɪntəˈlɛktjuəl] intellect adj, nintellectuel(le)
German intellectual [ɪntəˈlɛktjuəl] intellect adjintellektuell, geistig
nIntellektuelle(r) f(m)

Italian intellectual [ɪntəˈlɛktjuəl] adj, nintellettuale (m/f)

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Saintsbury rightly points out, in correction of an imperfectly informed French critic of our literature) the radical distinction between poetry and prose has ever been recognized by its students, yet the imaginative impulse, which is perhaps the richest of our purely intellectual gifts, has been apt to invade the province of that tact and good judgment, alike as to matter and manner, in which we are not richer than other people.
"That girl was born to be a leader in social and intellectual circles, far away from Four Winds," she said to Gilbert as they walked home one night.
THIS courage, at last become subtle, spiritual and intellectual, this human courage, with eagle's pinions and serpent's wisdom: THIS, it seemeth to me, is called at present--"
 
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