intelligence

intelligence — noun

1. The natural mental capacity that allows a person to learn new things, understand

1.nounA2
Definition

The natural mental capacity that allows a person to learn new things, understand concepts, and reach sensible decisions using logical thinking.

Example

The researchers tested the intelligence of fifty children between the ages of six and ten.

test + intelligence + of [group]

Ritu has shown remarkable intelligence in solving puzzles since she was very young.

Common collocations
  • high intelligence
  • great intelligence
  • artificial intelligence
  • intelligence test
  • show intelligence
  • lack intelligence
Synonyms
  • intellect

    emphasises the thinking and reasoning faculty specifically, often in formal or academic contexts

  • cleverness

    more informal; stresses quickness and practical problem-solving rather than deep reasoning

  • brainpower

    informal; refers to mental ability in a practical, everyday sense

Antonyms
  • stupidity

    opposite end of the mental-ability spectrum; more blunt and less clinical than low intelligence

  • ignorance

    lack of knowledge rather than lack of ability to reason

Common Mistakes

She has a high intelligence.
She has high intelligence.
intelligence is uncountable and does not take the article 'a'.
His intelligences are impressive.
His intelligence is impressive.
intelligence is uncountable; it has no plural form.
The dog has a lot of intelligences.
The dog has a lot of intelligence.
even when referring to animals, intelligence remains uncountable.

2. Secret facts gathered about a foreign government, especially an enemy one; also

2.nounB2
Definition

Secret facts gathered about a foreign government, especially an enemy one; also used to refer to the organizations or people who collect such facts.

Example

British intelligence warned the navy that enemy submarines had entered the North Sea.

intelligence + warned [someone] + that-clause

Theo works for an intelligence agency that monitors signals from satellites around the world.

collocation: intelligence agency

Common collocations
  • intelligence agency
  • intelligence report
  • gather intelligence
  • military intelligence
  • intelligence officer
  • intelligence community
  • intelligence operation
Synonyms
  • espionage

    refers to the activity of spying rather than the information itself

  • surveillance

    the act of close observation, not the intelligence product

  • classified information

    broader term for any officially secret data, not limited to foreign governments

Antonyms
  • disinformation

    false information deliberately spread to mislead, especially by governments or intelligence agencies

Usage Note

Frequently appears in compound nouns such as intelligence agency, intelligence report, and intelligence officer. When referring to the organization (e.g., 'Intelligence believes the threat is real'), the word functions as a collective noun and takes a singular verb.

Common Mistakes

The newspaper published intelligence about the earthquake.
The newspaper published news about the earthquake.
intelligence meaning 'secret information' is for classified data, not general events. Use sense 3 for non-secret news.
The intelligence are working on the case.
Intelligence is working on the case.
when referring to the organisation, use a singular verb.

3. News or facts about recent happenings that are considered important or noteworth

3.nounB1
Definition

News or facts about recent happenings that are considered important or noteworthy.

Example

According to intelligence from the region, the peace talks between the two sides have resumed.

according to + intelligence + from [place]

The investment firm had no intelligence of the merger until the deal was made public.

have no intelligence of [event]

Common collocations
  • latest intelligence
  • intelligence from [place]
  • receive intelligence
  • according to intelligence
  • intelligence on [topic]
Synonyms
  • news

    more common and neutral; everyday term for recent events

  • information

    broader; can refer to any facts, not necessarily recent or important

  • report

    a structured account of events, often from an official source

Usage Note

This sense overlaps with news and information. It is less common in everyday conversation than sense 1 or sense 2 and appears mostly in formal or journalistic registers. Distinguish from sense 2: sense 3 refers to general (non-secret) information about events, while sense 2 is limited to classified or confidential material.

Common Mistakes

I heard some intelligence about the party tonight.
I heard some news about the party tonight.
this sense is too formal for casual social contexts; use 'news' or 'information' instead.
The company shared its intelligence with rivals.
The company shared its information with rivals.
intelligence in this sense is one-directional (received or gathered), not something you actively distribute like information.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Intelligence, wisdom, intellect, and cleverness all relate to mental ability, but they differ in scope and emphasis. Intelligence refers broadly to the capacity to learn, reason, and solve problems — it is the raw cognitive horsepower measured by IQ tests. Intellect, by contrast, focuses on the thinking mind's ability to engage with complex ideas and abstract concepts; it suggests a scholarly or analytical orientation rather than general problem-solving. Cleverness is more practical and quick-witted: it describes the ability to find smart, sometimes creative solutions in everyday situations, especially under pressure. Wisdom goes beyond raw processing power to include experience, good judgment, and a deep understanding of people and life. A highly intelligent person may solve a logic puzzle instantly, but it takes wisdom to know whether solving that puzzle is worth doing at all. Example: 'Chimpanzees show considerable intelligence in tool use, but they do not possess the intellect required for advanced mathematics, nor the wisdom that comes from decades of human experience.'

wisdom ↗intellectcleverness ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • piece of intelligence

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Intelligence comes from Latin intelligentia, meaning 'understanding' or 'discernment.' This noun was formed from the verb intellegere, 'to understand,' which itself is built from inter ('between') and legere ('to choose' or 'to pick out') — literally 'to choose between,' i.e., to detect differences and grasp meaning. The word entered English from Old French in the 14th century, originally carrying only the sense of mental ability. By the 16th century, it had developed the meaning of 'news or information,' and in the 19th century it took on its modern association with espionage and secret government information.