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Definition intelligent in British English

intelligent adjective

adjective
/ɪnˈtelɪdʒ(ə)nt/

Other ways of saying intelligent

clever able to understand and learn things quickly: used especially in British English. In American English, clever often means not only intelligent but also slightly dishonest: I always thought Sammy was more clever than me.He’s very outspoken and clever in his dealings with foreign leaders.

smart able to understand and learn things quickly: used especially in American English: Janey’s a smart kid – she’ll do okay.

bright intelligent and quick to understand things: He tries hard, but I don’t think he’s very bright.

brainy (informal old-fashioned) intelligent and good at learning and studying: Ask Elizabeth, she’s the brainy one around here.

brilliant extremely intelligent: a brilliant young doctor

quick able to understand and react to things quickly: She’s very quick, and she should do well in a legal career.

sharp quick to notice and understand things: He’s a sharp trader who never misses a chance to make a profit.

wise able to use your knowledge and experience to judge what is right or true: I think they were wise to choose him.

Example

Surely an intelligent person like you can deal with this.

Example

He was highly intelligent, but disliked studying.

Synonyms and related words
Example

an intelligent guess/conversation/question

Synonyms and related words
2

able to think, understand, and learn

Example

Is there intelligent life elsewhere in the universe?

Synonyms and related words
3

intelligent software is able to react and deal with changes or different situations in a way that is similar to human intelligence

Example

word processors with intelligent formatting systems

Synonyms and related words
Definition intelligent in British English