intellect: Meaning and Definition of

in•tel•lect

Pronunciation: (in'tl-ekt"), [key]
— n.
  1. the power or faculty of the mind by which one knows or understands, as distinguished from that by which one feels and that by which one wills; the understanding; the faculty of thinking and acquiring knowledge.
  2. capacity for thinking and acquiring knowledge, esp. of a high or complex order; mental capacity.
  3. a particular mind or intelligence, esp. of a high order.
  4. a person possessing a great capacity for thought and knowledge.
  5. minds collectively, as of a number of persons or the persons themselves.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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