Other forms: intelligences
Intelligence is the ability to learn and understand, or secret information gathered. High intelligence, military intelligence, an intelligence report.
The two senses are far apart and both are current. What tests measure is argued about endlessly, and the one solid finding is that scores predict outcomes on average and tell you little about an individual. In the secret sense, intelligence is information assessed rather than merely collected. Note that the Latin means choosing between.
1nounintelligenceThe ability to learn and understand.
“Dolphins are known for their intelligence and can learn complicated tricks.”
2nounsecretSecret information gathered and assessed.
“Intelligence suggested that the attack would happen at night.”
Too few real examples of this word to estimate which sense is commonest.
Latin intelligentia comes from intelligere, to understand — inter plus legere, to choose or read. Elect and lecture come from the same choosing.
Middle English
intelligence
English, today
intelligence
From Middle English intelligence. From Middle English intelligence, from Old French intelligence, from Latin intelligentia, which is most likely from inter- + legere. a doublet of intelligentsia.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA