as in literati
intellectuals considered as a social class
a presidential candidate who was the darling of the intelligentsia—and very few others
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Recent Examples of intelligentsia
The president’s hobbling of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and National Labor Relations Board has upset the promoters of his domestic agenda in the intelligentsia, while his Gaza proposal has left many of his neo-isolationist boosters scrambling—or sidestepping the subject entirely.
—
Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 20 Feb. 2025
The intelligentsia soon coined another — ‘Kvaravaggio’.
—The Athletic Uk Staff, The Athletic, 13 Feb. 2025
The island was long a meeting place for members of the Polish intelligentsia living in France and the castle was a source of inspiration for writers including Henryk Sienkiewicz, author of Quo Vadis, first published in 1895 (the year the château was constructed).
—Fanny Guénon Des Mesnards, Architectural Digest, 18 Jan. 2025
As a result of Vice President Harris's attempt to become the first woman of color to win the presidency, there was an unprecedented amount of support from all levels of the Black elite and intelligentsia.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 7 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for intelligentsia
Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 20 Feb. 2025
The intelligentsia soon coined another — ‘Kvaravaggio’.
—The Athletic Uk Staff, The Athletic, 13 Feb. 2025
The island was long a meeting place for members of the Polish intelligentsia living in France and the castle was a source of inspiration for writers including Henryk Sienkiewicz, author of Quo Vadis, first published in 1895 (the year the château was constructed).
—Fanny Guénon Des Mesnards, Architectural Digest, 18 Jan. 2025
As a result of Vice President Harris's attempt to become the first woman of color to win the presidency, there was an unprecedented amount of support from all levels of the Black elite and intelligentsia.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 7 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for intelligentsia
Recent Examples of Synonyms for intelligentsia
Noun
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The area became favored by the elite when the Rockefellers purchased land there in the 1960s.—
Melinda Sheckells,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
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But he is despised by Thailand’s powerful elites, who saw his rule as corrupt, authoritarian and socially destabilizing.—
Lionel Lim,
Fortune,
19 June 2025
Noun
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Democrats and the public-health clerisy denounced President Trump for rushing Covid vaccines.—
Allysia Finley,
WSJ,
4 Sep. 2022
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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
Noun
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Members of Iranian paramilitary women forces (Basij) wear masks of Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US elect Donald Trump with a red cross of it, during an anti-Israeli rally to show their solidarity with the Palestinian and Lebanese people, in Tehran, January 10, 2025.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 June 2025
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Their 2-1 victory there solidified their status as elect champions of Italy.—
Ahmed Walid,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Intelligentsia.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/intelligentsia. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
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