intellettuale
/in.tel.let.tuˈa.le/
The English word "intellectual" translates to the Italian intellettuale.
intellettuale is used as an adjective to describe things belonging to, or performed by, the intellect. Mental or cognitive.
Meaning: belonging to, or performed by, the intellect, mental or cognitive (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the word as a noun or an adjective in the plural, the form changes to intellettuali.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 6 syllables, with the stress on the 5th syllable: /in.tel.let.tuˈa.le/.
Did you know?
- The term intellettuale can sometimes carry a sarcastic or pejorative tone in Italy, implying a person is overly theoretical or disconnected from the practical realities of life.
- Because intellettuale ends in e, it is a gender-neutral adjective that remains the same whether it describes a man or a woman.
- In Italy, the term intellettuale was historically linked to the 'organic intellectual' concept popularized by Antonio Gramsci, a famous Italian Marxist philosopher.
Examples in context
- Tom è un intellettuale.Tom is an intellectual.This example shows how to use intellettuale as a noun to describe a person.Tatoeba #4958246 by Guybrush88, translation #4494444 by CK
- Tutta la proprietà intellettuale è un furto dal pubblico dominio.All intellectual property is theft from the public domain.This sentence demonstrates the use of intellettuale in the phrase 'intellectual property'.Tatoeba #10817552 by WM3DAS, translation #8343551 by shekitten
- Un intellettuale è una persona che ha scoperto qualcosa più interessante del sesso.An intellectual is a person who has discovered something more interesting than sex.This example uses intellettuale as a noun to define a specific type of person.Tatoeba #966560 by Guybrush88, translation #690971 by Scott
- Lui è un intellettuale rinomatoHe is a renowned intellectual
- Maria è una persona di cultura eccezionaleMaria is an exceptionally knowledgeable person
- Il professor Rossi è un accademico stimatoProfessor Rossi is a respected intellectual
- Lui è un bravo pensatoreHe is a good thinker
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chiara and Matteo are discussing a film at a cafe.
- ChiaraÈ stato un film molto intellettuale.It was a very intellectual film.
- MatteoSì, la trama richiede molta concentrazione.Yes, the plot requires a lot of concentration.
- ChiaraMi piace quando la sfida è intellettuale.I like it when the challenge is intellectual.
- MatteoConcordo, è molto più stimolante.I agree, it is much more stimulating.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “intellectual” translations and entries intellettuale, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
