intellect
This term emphasizes the capacity for rational, objective thought and logical analysis. It is often contrasted with intuition, emotion, or raw instinct, suggesting a disciplined and structured approach to understanding the world.
While it can refer to an individual's mental faculty, it is frequently used to describe a collective capacity or a specific level of cognitive sophistication. It carries a connotation of academic or philosophical rigor rather than simple cleverness or street smarts.
Meanings
The faculty of reasoning and understanding objectively, especially one considered as distinct from emotion.
He has a powerful intellect that allows him to solve complex mathematical problems quickly.
A person who possesses a high degree of mental capacity and is typically devoted to academic or philosophical pursuits.
The university campus was a gathering place for the leading intellects of the twentieth century.
The collective mental capacity or intellectual power of a person or group.
The development of the human intellect has been accelerated by the invention of the printing press.
Examples
He has a powerful intellect that allows him to solve complex problems.
The university campus attracted the leading intellects of the twentieth century.
The development of the human intellect was accelerated by the printing press.