intelligent

/ɪnˈtɛlədʒənt/

/ɪnˈtɛlɪdʒɛnt/

Humans? Intelligent! Potted plants? Not so much. Intelligent means smart, or having the ability to process and understand information (including dictionary definitions).

Intelligent comes from a Latin word meaning "to understand, to gather," and intelligent creatures gather and make sense of information easily. Intelligent also refers to the ability to think. Intelligent objects, like speakers or software, seem to think in the way they react to change. If we’re looking for intelligent life on Mars, we want Martians who can reason. Intelligent also means showing good judgement, like an intelligent decision not to invite all those Martians to your birthday party.

Definitions of intelligent

1. adjective

   having the capacity for thought and reason especially to a high degree
   “is there intelligent life in the universe?”

   “an intelligent question”

   synonyms:

   smart

   showing mental alertness and calculation and resourcefulness

   agile, nimble

   mentally quick

   apt, clever

   mentally quick and resourceful

   brainy, brilliant, genius, smart as a whip

   having or marked by unusual and impressive intelligence

   bright, smart

   characterized by quickness and ease in learning

   born, innate, natural

   being talented through inherited qualities

   quick, ready

   apprehending and responding with speed and sensitivity

   prehensile

   having a keen intellect

   scintillating

   brilliantly clever

   searching, trenchant

   having keenness and forcefulness and penetration in thought, expression, or intellect

   precocious

   characterized by or characteristic of exceptionally early development or maturity (especially in mental aptitude)

   antonyms:

   unintelligent

   lacking intelligence

   stupid

   lacking or marked by lack of intellectual acuity

   brainless, headless

   not using intelligence
2. adjective

   exercising or showing good judgment
   “an intelligent solution”

   synonyms: healthy, level-headed, levelheaded, sound

   reasonable, sensible

   showing reason or sound judgment
3. adjective

   endowed with the capacity to reason
   synonyms: reasoning, thinking

   rational

   consistent with or based on or using reason
4. adjective

   possessing sound knowledge
   synonyms: well-informed

   sophisticated

   having or appealing to those having worldly knowledge and refinement and savoir-faire