intelligence

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   secret information about an enemy (or potential enemy)

   we sent out planes to gather intelligence on their radar coverage

2. 2
   noun

   The capacity of mind, especially to understand principles, truths, facts or meanings, acquire knowledge, and apply it to practice; the ability to comprehend and learn; the ability to process sentient experience to generate true beliefs with a justified degree of confidence.

   Not so, however, with Tarzan, the man-child. His life amidst the dangers of the jungle had taught him to meet emergencies with self-confidence, and his higher intelligence resulted in a quickness of mental action far beyond the powers of the apes.

3. 3
   noun

   The quality of making use or having made use of such capacities: depth of understanding, mental quickness.

   From a religious point of view, a bodhisattva with sharp faculties and great intelligence can cause a tremendous upheaval if he or she misuses that power under the influence of negative emotions, like attachment and hatred.

4. 4
   noun

   An entity that has such capacities.

   The great Intelligences fair That range above our mortal state, In circle round the blessed gate, Received and gave him welcome there.

5. 5
   noun

   Information, often secret, about an enemy or about hostile activities.

   Their lack of good intelligence also meant that they vastly overestimated the size of their foes for far too long, hails of armor-piercing shells doing comparatively little damage compared to the high explosive that they should have been using.

6. 6
   noun

   Acquaintance; intercourse; familiarity.

   Yet Josephus tells us of Phiala, a ſpring[…] into which Philip the Tetrarch caſt chaffe to try the experiment, and it was rendred up again into the ſtreame of Iordan. Whence he concluded, that this river entertained an underground intelligence with that fountain.

7. 7
   noun

   the operation of gathering information about an enemy

8. 8
   noun

   the ability to comprehend

Etymology

From Middle English intelligence, from Old French intelligence, from Latin intelligentia, which is from inter- (“between”) + legere (“to choose, pick out, read”), from Proto-Italic *legō (“to care”). Doublet of intelligentsia.