— intelligently , adv.
/in tel"i jeuhnt/ , adj.
1. having good understanding or a high mental capacity; quick to comprehend, as persons or animals: an intelligent student.
2. displaying or characterized by quickness of understanding, sound thought, or good judgment: an intelligent reply.
3. having the faculty of reasoning and understanding; possessing intelligence: intelligent beings in outer space.
4. Computers. pertaining to the ability to do data processing locally; smart: An intelligent terminal can edit input before transmission to a host computer. Cf. dumb (def. 8).
5. Archaic. having understanding or knowledge (usually fol. by of ).
[ 1500-10; intelligent- (s. of intelligens, prp. of intelligere, var. of intellegere to understand, lit., choose between), equiv. to intel- (var. of INTER- INTER-) + -lig- (comb. form of leg-, s. of legere to pick up, choose; cf. LECTION) + -ent- -ENT ]
Syn. 1. bright. INTELLIGENT, INTELLECTUAL describe distinctive mental capacity. INTELLIGENT often suggests a natural quickness of understanding: an intelligent reader. INTELLECTUAL implies not only having a high degree of understanding, but also a capacity and taste for the higher forms of knowledge: intellectual interests. 2. astute, clever, alert, bright, apt, discerning, shrewd, smart. See sharp .
Ant. 1, 2. stupid.