intelligence

noun intelligences

1. uncountable The capacity of mind, especially to understand principles, truths, facts or meanings, acquire knowledge, and apply it to practice; the ability to comprehend and learn; the ability to process sentient experience to generate true beliefs with a justified degree of confidence. Not so, however, with Tarzan, the man-child. His life amidst the dangers of the jungle had taught him to meet emergencies with self-confidence, and his higher intelligence resulted in a quickness of mental action far beyond the powers of the apes.

   Similar: brightness, intellect, smartness, wit · Opposite: unintelligence

2. countable, uncountable An individual's expected relative performance in a cognitive test. intelligence quotient

   Similar: brightness, intellect, smartness, wit · Opposite: unintelligence

3. uncountable The quality of making use or having made use of such capacities: depth of understanding, mental quickness. From a religious point of view, a bodhisattva with sharp faculties and great intelligence can cause a tremendous upheaval if he or she misuses that power under the influence of negative emotions, like attachment and hatred.

   Similar: brightness, intellect, smartness, wit · Opposite: unintelligence

4. countable An entity that has such capacities. The great Intelligences fair That range above our mortal state, In circle round the blessed gate, Received and gave him welcome there.

   Similar: intelligence, sentient, sapient, sophont

5. uncountable Information, often secret, about an enemy or about hostile activities. After the subjugation of Spain, while Cæsar was meditating an expedition against the Dacians and Parthians, he was sent before him to Apollonia, where he applied himself to his studies; until receiving intelligence that his uncle was murdered, and that he was appointed his heir, he hesitated for som
6. countable A political or military department, agency or unit designed to gather information, usually secret, about the enemy or about hostile activities.
7. countable, dated, uncountable Acquaintance; intercourse; familiarity. Yet Josephus tells us of Phiala, a ſpring[…] into which Philip the Tetrarch caſt chaffe to try the experiment, and it was rendred up again into the ſtreame of Iordan. Whence he concluded, that this river entertained an underground intelligence with that fountain.

Similar: brain, brains, cleverness, head, brightness, esprit, intellect, intelligence, mind, nous, psyche, reason, smartness, smarts, wit, judgment · Opposite: blockheadedness, boneheadedness, density, denseness, dimness, dimwittedness, doltery, dullness, dullwittedness, dumbness, dumminess, duncedom, duncehood, duncery, emptyheadedness, fatuity, foolery, foolishness, hebetude, idioticness, idiocy, imbecility, moronicity, moronicness, obtuseness, obtusity, slow-wittedness, stolidity, stupidity, thickheadedness