Intellectually

Intellectually is an English adverb that indicates something is done in relation to the intellect or cognitive processes. It can modify verbs, adjectives, or nouns to describe the mental manner or quality of an action, such as thinking, reasoning, or analysis. It is not a direct synonym of intelligent and should be used to specify how something is approached rather than how capable someone is.

The word derives from the adjective intellectual, which itself comes from Latin intellectus, meaning understanding. The adverbial form was created in English by adding the suffix -ly, a common way to form adverbs from adjectives. The usage of intellectually dates to the early modern period and remains common in scholarly, cultural, and everyday language.

Common usages include phrases such as intellectually demanding, intellectually rigorous, intellectually honest, and intellectually curious. It is often employed in discussions about education, philosophy, science, and public discourse to emphasize cognitive aspects rather than emotional or physical ones. In disability terminology, modern practice tends to prefer the construction intellectual disability or phrases like “people with intellectual disability” rather than terms that label someone as intellectually disabled.