intelligentsia
noun/ɪnˌtelɪˈdʒentsiə/
/ɪnˌtelɪˈdʒentsiə/
(usually the intelligentsia)
[singular + singular or plural verb]- the people in a country or society who are well educated and are interested in culture, politics, literature, etc.
- The intelligentsia was/were less influential than before.
Word Originearly 20th cent.: from Russian intelligentsiya, from Polish inteligencja, from Latin intelligentia, from intelligere ‘understand’, from inter ‘between’ + legere ‘choose’.
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intelligentsia