intelligible
intelligible Lexical Profile
intelligible Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Able to be understood; clear enough to be comprehended or heard distinctly.
"The professor translated the dense legal jargon into terms that were easily intelligible to first-year students."
Capable of being apprehended only by the intellect, rather than through the physical senses (in philosophy).
"In Platonic philosophy, the realm of eternal Forms is purely intelligible rather than visible to the eye."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse 'intelligible' (capable of being understood) with 'intelligent' (having a high capacity for learning and reasoning). Furthermore, while 'intelligible' can apply to both spoken sounds and abstract ideas, 'legible' refers specifically to handwriting or print that is clear enough to be read.
• Rhymes for intelligible
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 14th century from Latin 'intelligibilis' ('capable of being understood'), derived from 'intelligere' ('to understand, perceive'), which combines 'inter-' ('between') and 'legere' ('to choose, pick out, read').