Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “intelligence” come from?

Intelligence comes from Old French intelligence, derived from Latin intelligentia, meaning the capacity to understand or discern.

intelligence (English): Capacity of mind, especially to understand...

Definitions

  1. Capacity of mind, especially to understand...

Ancestry of “intelligence”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishintelligence—
2Old Frenchintelligencecomprehension; meaning; ability to comprehend
3LatinintelligentiaAlternative form of intellegentia
4Latinintelligēns—
5Latinintellegō—
6Latinlegō—
7Latinlēx—
8Proto-Italiclēg-—
9Proto-Indo-Europeanleǵ-s—
10Proto-Indo-Europeanleǵ-to gather, collect, with derivatives meaning to...

Words derived from “intelligence”

  • counterintelligence
  • intelligencer
  • unintelligence
  • superintelligence
  • intelligential
  • intelligencing
  • nonintelligence
  • misintelligence
  • hyperintelligence
  • extelligence
  • cyberintelligence
  • intelligencelike
  • counter-intelligence
  • social media intelligence
  • intelligentially
  • intelligence
Every word from Proto-Indo-European leǵ- →