intelligentsia

noun

in-ˌte-lə-ˈjen(t)-sē-ə How to pronounce intelligentsia (audio)
Definition of intelligentsianext
as in literati
intellectuals considered as a social class a presidential candidate who was the darling of the intelligentsia—and very few others

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of intelligentsia Epstein found ways to infiltrate the intelligentsia besides making overtures to cash-hungry researchers. — Miles Klee, Wired News, 24 Feb. 2026 For now, these ideas mostly live in the political intelligentsia and online far-right hubs. — Abby McCloskey, Twin Cities, 25 Nov. 2025 Popular opinion was also shaped by an overwhelmingly left-leaning intelligentsia created and shaped by the long national struggle against European imperialism. — Pankaj Mishra, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025 All or nothing For most of the Russian nationalist intelligentsia, Alaska is less a jewel to be recovered than a warning against any concession to the West. — Dan Morrison, USA Today, 14 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for intelligentsia
Recent Examples of Synonyms for intelligentsia
  1. elite
  2. clerisy
  3. elect
Noun
  • That initial ruling also triggered a furious response from her nationalist allies at home and abroad, feeding an anti-establishment narrative of an elite conspiring to shut them out.
    — Melissa Bell, CNN Money, 7 July 2026
  • While the elite pick up their paddles after a vampiric rest in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, 87% of Americans (out of 5,000 surveyed in December 2025) believe the country is in a crisis because of its unaffordability.
    — Hunter Lacey, Allure, 7 July 2026
Definition of elite
Noun
  • They are ruled by a grizzled and sclerotic clerisy that funnels resources to its private army, the terrorist Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
    — Matthew Continetti, National Review, 24 Sep. 2022
  • All will be forgiven and forgotten by the clerisy of the moment.
    — Barton Swaim, WSJ, 18 July 2021
Definition of clerisy
Noun
  • But his situation is actually fairly complicated, in part because of how the Hall of Fame elects candidates.
    — James Mirtle, New York Times, 17 June 2026
  • Lyons had joined Fiserv that January as president and CEO-elect.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 15 June 2026
Definition of elect

Browse Nearby Words

intelligent
intelligentsia
intelligibility
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Intelligentsia.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/intelligentsia. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on intelligentsia

Nglish: Translation of intelligentsia for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about intelligentsia

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All