intelligible
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
Synonyms
Examples of intelligible in a Sentence
the ability to make complex concepts intelligible to the average reader
Very little of the recording was intelligible.
Recent Examples on the Web
Previous collections of data outputs have forced scientific agencies to rely on encrypted instruments, vendor-specific tools, and manual annotations that often lack intelligible APIs and force R&D teams to learn and create esoteric models to access data fully.
—
Jon Stojan, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2024
Any sense of continuity in a life—that is to say, any narrative of a life that consists of intelligible episodes, as opposed to random, incoherent change—depends in some way or another on the possibility of the second chance, the repetition of something that can be reworked.
—Frederick Kaufman, Harper's Magazine, 26 Feb. 2024
One step that researchers have taken, to positive effect, is to begin patrolling the intelligible parts—the prompts and outputs.
—Jaron Lanier, The New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2024
This entails putting forth intelligible terms a top-down or bottom-up structure that defines the cybersecurity ecosphere.
—Chuck Brooks, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024
But, to those who are not perpetually online, Biden’s tweet, despite its cleverness, was about as intelligible as the Duolingo bird getting a butt lift.
—Tyler Foggatt, The New Yorker, 12 Feb. 2024
American politics lately has been full of complicated, multiyear story lines intelligible only to paid professionals or fanatics.
—Eric Lach, The New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2023
In similar veins, Dialogue Boost and audio descriptions on Fire TV make dialogue more intelligible and easier to hear, while audio descriptions make visual content more accessible to people who are Blind and low vision.
—Steven Aquino, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023
Kaner writes action that’s both fun and intelligible — no mean feat — while keeping the story moving forward nicely.
—Charlie Jane Anders, Washington Post, 13 Sep. 2023
Jon Stojan, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2024
Any sense of continuity in a life—that is to say, any narrative of a life that consists of intelligible episodes, as opposed to random, incoherent change—depends in some way or another on the possibility of the second chance, the repetition of something that can be reworked.
—Frederick Kaufman, Harper's Magazine, 26 Feb. 2024
One step that researchers have taken, to positive effect, is to begin patrolling the intelligible parts—the prompts and outputs.
—Jaron Lanier, The New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2024
This entails putting forth intelligible terms a top-down or bottom-up structure that defines the cybersecurity ecosphere.
—Chuck Brooks, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024
But, to those who are not perpetually online, Biden’s tweet, despite its cleverness, was about as intelligible as the Duolingo bird getting a butt lift.
—Tyler Foggatt, The New Yorker, 12 Feb. 2024
American politics lately has been full of complicated, multiyear story lines intelligible only to paid professionals or fanatics.
—Eric Lach, The New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2023
In similar veins, Dialogue Boost and audio descriptions on Fire TV make dialogue more intelligible and easier to hear, while audio descriptions make visual content more accessible to people who are Blind and low vision.
—Steven Aquino, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023
Kaner writes action that’s both fun and intelligible — no mean feat — while keeping the story moving forward nicely.
—Charlie Jane Anders, Washington Post, 13 Sep. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'intelligible.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near intelligible
Cite this Entry
“Intelligible.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intelligible. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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