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intelligence

/ɪnˈtelɪdʒəns//ɪnˈtelɪdʒəns/·noun
the ability to acquire and apply knowledge; also, gathered information
Fig. 1 — The field is all noise — short marks thrown at every angle, none of them saying anything.
01Definition

Intelligence comes from the Latin intelligere, 'to read between' — and that is its heart. It is less the storing of facts than the ability to connect them: to discern a pattern, to infer what is unstated, to adapt old knowledge to a new problem. In a second, quite separate sense it means gathered information, as in an intelligence agency. Both senses share the idea of meaning drawn out of raw material — understanding that no single fact contains on its own.

02In use
  • iEmotional intelligence — the capacity to read a room — matters as much as raw academic ability.
  • iiThe report praised her intelligence and her gift for synthesis under pressure.
  • iiiArtificial intelligence now performs tasks that once seemed to require human reasoning.
03Collocations
  • emotional intelligence
  • artificial intelligence
  • gather intelligence
  • a sign of intelligence
  • intelligence and reasoning

Family intelligent (adjective) · intellect (noun) · intelligible (adjective)

04Relations

=intellect, acumen, insight, reasoning, cleverness

≠ignorance, stupidity

06TOEFL & IELTS

Two senses examiners love to separate: cognitive ability (uncountable — never 'an intelligence') and information ('military intelligence'). 'Emotional intelligence' and 'artificial intelligence' are near-essential collocations for modern essays on technology and education. The adjective is intelligent; don't confuse it with intelligible (understandable). Useful across Writing and Speaking on education, AI and the mind.

07Asked
Does 'intelligence' have more than one meaning?
Yes — two quite separate ones. First, mental ability: the power to reason, learn, and connect ideas. Second, gathered information: what an intelligence agency collects, as in 'military intelligence'. Both descend from Latin intelligere, 'to read between' — one reads meaning out of problems, the other out of secrets. Context makes clear which is meant.
What is the difference between intelligence and intellect?
Intelligence is the ability to learn, adapt, and solve problems — it can be quick and practical. Intellect leans toward the capacity for deep, abstract, reflective thought ('a person of great intellect'). Intelligence handles new problems; intellect ponders ideas. The scene above catches the first: a sweep judging which few marks in the noise are worth pulling together into sense.
Why is 'intelligence' uncountable?
In the mental-ability sense it names a quality, not a countable thing, so you say 'she has great intelligence', never 'an intelligence' or 'three intelligences'. To count instances, use another word ('a sign of intelligence'). The information sense is uncountable too ('fresh intelligence came in'). Treating it as countable is a common and noticeable error.
What does 'intelligence' mean in the military sense?
Information gathered about an enemy or a threat, and the organisations that collect it — 'intelligence reports', 'an intelligence agency'. It is uncountable in this sense too. The link to the mental sense is real: both involve drawing meaning from scattered raw material, whether a puzzle or a pile of intercepted signals.
What is emotional intelligence?
The ability to recognise, understand, and manage emotions — your own and other people's. Often shortened to EQ, it covers self-awareness, empathy, and handling relationships, and is widely discussed as a complement to raw problem-solving ability. It keeps intelligence's core idea: reading what is not spelled out, here in feelings rather than facts.
What is the difference between intelligent and intelligible?
Intelligent means clever, able to reason well (an intelligent student). Intelligible means able to be understood, clear (an intelligible explanation). They look alike but describe different things: one is a quality of a mind, the other a quality of a message. A brilliant lecture is intelligent; a clear one is intelligible; the best are both.