intelligible

1 of 2

adjective

in·​tel·​li·​gi·​ble in-ˈte-lə-jə-bəl 

1

: capable of being understood or comprehended

jargon intelligible only to the initiated

2

: apprehensible by the intellect only

intelligibility

in-ˌte-lə-jə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

intelligibleness

in-ˈte-lə-jə-bəl-nəs 

noun

intelligibly

in-ˈte-lə-jə-blē 

adverb

intelligibility

2 of 2

noun

in·​tel·​li·​gi·​bil·​i·​ty

-lətē, 

-i

plural -es

1

: the quality or state of being intelligible : clarity, understandability

the immediate intelligibility of the prose

—Richard Eberhart

2

: something that is intelligible

Synonyms of intelligible

Adjective

• understandable
• accessible
• comprehensible

Examples of intelligible in a Sentence

Adjective

the ability to make complex concepts intelligible to the average reader

Very little of the recording was intelligible.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Tamil itself is no less a political construction, with public discourse and education carried out in a self-consciously archaic form of the language only half-intelligible to many speakers of its multifarious vernaculars. — Nikhil Krishnan, New Yorker, 20 July 2026

The Minions lose their Hollywood careers because sound arrives and nobody can understand their language, the same problem the real franchise solved 16 years ago by never giving its characters intelligible dialogue in the first place. — David Deal, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026

Even Karp’s more intelligible arguments are quickly trampled over as additional intrusive thoughts took the wheel. — Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 1 July 2026

Louden points out, for example, that Swedish and Norwegian are highly mutually intelligible, but neither is considered a dialect of the other, or of a parent language, primarily because each is associated with a separate nation-state. — Eythana Miller, The Dial, 23 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Latin intelligibilis, from intelligere

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun

1610, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for intelligible

• eligible
• ineligible
• unintelligible

Kids Definition

intelligible

adjective

in·​tel·​li·​gi·​ble in-ˈtel-ə-jə-bəl 

: able to be understood

intelligibility

-ˌtel-ə-jə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

noun

intelligibleness

-ˈtel-ə-jə-bəl-nəs 

noun

intelligibly

-blē 

adverb