intelligence
UK[ɪnˈtel.ɪ.dʒəns]US[ɪnˈtel.ə.dʒəns]
n
the ability to learn, understand, and think in a logical way about things; the ability to do this well
n
secret information that is collected about a foreign country, enemy, or competitor; the people or organization that collects this information
Morpheme Breakdown
intel
lig
ence
intel
lig
ence
Etymology
the word intelligence originates from the latin noun intelligentia, which itself is derived from the verb intelligere, meaning "to understand, to comprehend." this verb is a compound formed from inter- ("between, among") and legere ("to gather, choose, read"). the core concept is one of "choosing or discerning between" things, or "gathering meaning from among" words or signs. over time, this literal sense of "perceiving the difference" evolved into the more abstract capacity for understanding, reasoning, and acquiring knowledge. the modern dual meanings—cognitive ability and secret information—both stem from this idea of discerning and gathering meaningful knowledge from available data.
Analysis
Structure: intel + lig + ence
intel (sense: between, among) - from latin inter-, meaning "between, among".
lig (sense: to choose, to pick out, to read) - from latin legere (stem leg-, lect-), meaning "to gather, choose, read".
ence (sense: state or quality of) - a noun-forming suffix from latin -entia, denoting state or quality.
Examples
the children were given a test to measure their verbal intelligence.
she works for a military intelligence agency.
artificial intelligence is transforming many industries.