lehetintellektuális

Lehetintellektuális is a Hungarian neologism used in cultural and media discourse to describe a person, stance, or attitude that is regarded as intellectual in potential rather than in realized form. The term combines lehet, meaning "possible" or "can be," with intellektuális, meaning "intellectual." It is typically used to signify a claim to intellectual status that has not (yet) been substantiated by substantial scholarly or disciplinary contributions, and it often carries a critical or ironic tone.

In practice, lehetintellektuális appears in online comments, op-eds, and social commentary to label figures who signal theoretical literacy—through references to philosophy, theory, or high-brow culture—without engaging in rigorous analysis. The label may target public intellectuals, commentators, or media personalities, and it can function as a shorthand for perceived performative or pretentious rationality rather than a formal credential. Its usage reflects debates about authenticity in intellectual life and how society recognizes intellectual authority.

The term is not standardized and occurs in several orthographic forms, including lehetintellektuális, lehet intellektuális, or with a hyphen. As an evaluative descriptor, its application signals attitudes toward the line between popular culture and scholarly discourse and raises questions about what counts as genuine intellect. Today, it remains primarily a marginal term in Hungarian, most often found in online discourse and occasional cultural criticism rather than in formal academic writing.