1
as in smart
having or showing quickness of mind
proud parents typically insist that their child is intelligent way beyond his or her years his intelligent response to the emergency averted a disaster
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in rational
having the ability to reason
there is some debate over whether dolphins are intelligent animals
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in discreet
having or showing good judgment and restraint especially in conduct or speech
the only intelligent response to such a tasteless joke is to quickly change the subject
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of intelligent
In service and home settings, the bipedal robot acts as an intelligent assistant.
—
Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 5 Feb. 2026
Option three is Tú Anh, with Tú meaning talented or gifted and Anh defined as bright and intelligent.
—Jack Guy, CNN Money, 4 Feb. 2026
Carrick was a rare exception, an intelligent midfielder who was capable of hitting diagonal balls and line-breaking passes, but who understood that, realistically, the best option 90 per cent of the time is a ‘boring’ sideways pass.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
According to Charles Darwin, survival belongs not to the strongest species, nor the most intelligent, but the one most adaptable to change.
—Karim Sadjadpour, The Atlantic, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for intelligent
Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 5 Feb. 2026
Option three is Tú Anh, with Tú meaning talented or gifted and Anh defined as bright and intelligent.
—Jack Guy, CNN Money, 4 Feb. 2026
Carrick was a rare exception, an intelligent midfielder who was capable of hitting diagonal balls and line-breaking passes, but who understood that, realistically, the best option 90 per cent of the time is a ‘boring’ sideways pass.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
According to Charles Darwin, survival belongs not to the strongest species, nor the most intelligent, but the one most adaptable to change.
—Karim Sadjadpour, The Atlantic, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for intelligent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for intelligent
Adjective
-
The gold standard of smart watches, the Apple Watch can do just about everything your iPhone can, all from your wrist.—
John Monaco,
InStyle,
7 Feb. 2026
-
At the end of the day, Amodei said, people still enjoy interacting with other humans, with very smart and capable AI complementing them.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Perardi tried to stay rational.—
Matthew Bremner,
Rolling Stone,
11 Feb. 2026
-
This disconnect between individual choice and individual benefit represents not merely an economic inefficiency but a philosophical failure to respect the rational agency of health care consumers.—
Jared Rhoads,
STAT,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The couple divvied up the open space into discreet zones and enlisted their daughter, Dorothy, a decorator, to close off the bedroom with library walls.—
Wendy Goodman,
Curbed,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Although some are playing a discreet game.—
Dina Kaur,
AZCentral.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
What followed was very clever and fun.—
John Cherwa,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
-
For progressives, the undisputed master of the viral protest song is the thirty-three-year-old folksinger Jesse Welles, who makes videos of himself standing in a field, singing clever miniature tunes about the hypocrisies of the health-care industry, tech billionaires, ICE.—
Mitch Therieau,
New Yorker,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Be cautious about taking on new debt that assumes your current income is guaranteed.—
Matt Shumer,
Fortune,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Connecticut education leaders are expressing cautious optimism as the state Department of Education tries its hand at course development.—
Theo Peck-Suzuki,
Hartford Courant,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Use citrus peels or baking soda with vinegar for a quick and natural way to clean and deodorize the garbage disposal effectively.—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Trump’s response to this has been to float policies that promise a quick hit of relief.—
Rogé Karma,
The Atlantic,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Under a reasonable definition of the SVOD market, Netflix’s market dominance is impossible to ignore.—
Hal Singer,
Fortune,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Offer Choices, Within Limits Offering reasonable levels of freedom and allowing children to make choices is a great way to empower them, build confidence in their decision-making skills, and help build a sense of responsibility.—
Alanna Gallo,
Parents,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
One factor was investments in human capital, coupled with prudent economic policies.—
Nicholas D. Kristof,
Mercury News,
11 Feb. 2026
-
None restore the fundamental connection between prudent choice and personal benefit that would make the system self-correcting.—
Jared Rhoads,
STAT,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Intelligent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/intelligent. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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