/ ɪnˌtelɪˈdʒentsiə; NAmE / (usually the intelligentsia ) noun
[ sing.+ sing./pl. v . ] the people in a country or society who are well educated and are interested in culture, politics, literature, etc.
••
WORD ORIGIN
early 20th cent.: from Russian intelligentsiya , from Polish inteligencja , from Latin intelligentia , from intelligere understand, from inter between + legere choose.