as in literati
intellectuals considered as a social class
a presidential candidate who was the darling of the intelligentsia—and very few others
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of intelligentsia
This connects to how the intelligentsia used to say AI art could never replace human art.
—
James Barrat, Big Think, 2 Sep. 2025
All or nothing For most of the Russian nationalist intelligentsia, Alaska is less a jewel to be recovered than a warning against any concession to the West.
—Dan Morrison, USA Today, 14 Aug. 2025
Dipping Toes in Populist Waters Mr. Hawley belongs to a conservative intelligentsia that includes Oren Cass, the influential founder and chief economist of the think tank American Compass.
—Robert Draper, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
The Russian intelligentsia had once admired Ukraine, seeing in it the birthplace of the Muscovite dynasty and Orthodoxy.
—James Verini, The New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for intelligentsia
James Barrat, Big Think, 2 Sep. 2025
All or nothing For most of the Russian nationalist intelligentsia, Alaska is less a jewel to be recovered than a warning against any concession to the West.
—Dan Morrison, USA Today, 14 Aug. 2025
Dipping Toes in Populist Waters Mr. Hawley belongs to a conservative intelligentsia that includes Oren Cass, the influential founder and chief economist of the think tank American Compass.
—Robert Draper, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
The Russian intelligentsia had once admired Ukraine, seeing in it the birthplace of the Muscovite dynasty and Orthodoxy.
—James Verini, The New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for intelligentsia
Recent Examples of Synonyms for intelligentsia
Noun
-
And there are others who've been able to do that as part of smaller communities, not necessarily part of the elite.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Recent research suggests a significant shift in how voters perceive the parties; more people now believe that Republicans best represent the interests of the poor and working class, while Democrats are coming to be viewed as the party of rich elites.—
Mark Leibovich,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
They are ruled by a grizzled and sclerotic clerisy that funnels resources to its private army, the terrorist Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).—
Matthew Continetti,
National Review,
24 Sep. 2022
-
Democrats and the public-health clerisy denounced President Trump for rushing Covid vaccines.—
Allysia Finley,
WSJ,
4 Sep. 2022
Noun
-
And, unlike high-yield savings accounts, those rates are fixed and will remain the same until the account matures or until the saver elects to open the account prematurely.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
3 Feb. 2026
-
In the meantime, the longtime advocate for lower interest rates is expected to dissent on Wednesday when the Fed likely elects to hold monetary policy steady.—
Eleanor Mueller,
semafor.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Intelligentsia.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/intelligentsia. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
