He is both wise and powerful vs Intelligent

When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.

He is both wise and powerful

Top 1,000 (very common)

Intelligent

Top 1,000 (very common)A2adjective
 He is both wise and powerfulIntelligent
Pronunciation🇬🇧 //hiː ɪz bəʊθ waɪz ənd ˈpaʊəfəl//🇺🇸 //hi ɪz boʊθ waɪz ənd ˈpaʊərfəl//🇬🇧 /["/ɪnˈtelɪdʒənt/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ɪnˈtelɪdʒənt/"]/
MeaningHe is smart and strong.Smart or able to think well.
ExampleIn the legend, he is both wise and powerful, guiding his people.The intelligent student quickly solved the math problem.
RegisterNeutralNeutral
How commonTop 1,000 (very common)Top 1,000 (very common)
CEFR level-A2
Part of speechadjective
Collocationswise leader, powerful influence, wise decisions, both wise and strong, powerful presencebe, look, seem, extremely, fairly, very
Antonymsfoolish, weakunintelligent, stupid, dull
Common mistakesMixing up 'wisdom' with 'knowledge', Using 'power' incorrectly as an adjective, Confusing 'wise' with 'wise guy' in a negative senseConfused with 'intellect' which refers more to reasoning ability., Mistakenly using as a noun instead of an adjective (e.g., 'an intelligent' instead of 'an intelligent person').
Usage notesUse in both formal and informal contexts. Works well to describe a person with intelligence and strength.Use 'intelligent' to describe someone who has a high ability to learn or understand. It’s generally positive and can apply in both formal and informal contexts. Avoid using it sarcastically.

See it in real clips

He is both wise and powerful
Intelligent

Frequently asked questions: He is both wise and powerful vs Intelligent

What's the difference between He is both wise and powerful and Intelligent?

He is both wise and powerful: He is smart and strong. Intelligent: Smart or able to think well.

Can you show an example of each?

He is both wise and powerful: In the legend, he is both wise and powerful, guiding his people. Intelligent: The intelligent student quickly solved the math problem.

Can I use He is both wise and powerful and Intelligent interchangeably?

Not always. He is both wise and powerful and Intelligent are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.

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