Intelligibility: meaning, definitions and examples

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intelligibility

 

[ ˌɪnˌtɛlɪdʒəˈbɪlɪti ]

Noun
Context #1 | Noun

in linguistics

The quality of being intelligible; clear and easy to understand. It is often used to refer to how well speech or writing can be understood by others.

Synonyms

clarity, comprehensibility, understandability.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

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Word Description / Examples
intelligibility

Use it when discussing the ease with which speech or text can be understood.

  • The intelligibility of his speech was affected by the noisy room.
  • The professor's lecture was high in intelligibility.
clarity

Best used when talking about the clearness or lucidity of communication and ideas.

  • Her writing is known for its clarity.
  • The clarity of the water made it easy to see the fish.
comprehensibility

Applicable when referring to the overall ability for something to be understood, especially in written or spoken form.

  • The manual's comprehensibility helped users set up the device quickly.
  • Ensuring the comprehensibility of legal documents is crucial.
understandability

Most relevant when talking about the general ease by which information can be understood.

  • The understandability of her explanation made the complex topic accessible.
  • To improve understandability, the instructions were simplified.

Examples of usage

  • The intelligibility of the professor's lecture was high, as he spoke clearly and concisely.
  • The report lacked intelligibility, as the language used was too technical for the average reader to understand.

Translations

Translations of the word "intelligibility" in other languages:

🇵🇹 inteligibilidade

🇮🇳 बोधगम्यता

🇩🇪 Verständlichkeit

🇮🇩 kejelasan

🇺🇦 зрозумілість

🇵🇱 zrozumiałość

🇯🇵 明瞭さ

🇫🇷 intelligibilité

🇪🇸 inteligibilidad

🇹🇷 anlaşılırlık

🇰🇷 명료성

🇸🇦 وضوح

🇨🇿 srozumitelnost

🇸🇰 zrozumiteľnosť

🇨🇳 可理解性

🇸🇮 razumljivost

🇮🇸 skiljanleiki

🇰🇿 түсініктілік

🇬🇪 გასაგებობა

🇦🇿 anlaşıqlıq

🇲🇽 inteligibilidad

Etymology

The word 'intelligibility' originated in the late 16th century, derived from the Latin word 'intelligibilis', meaning 'that may be understood'. It has been used in the field of linguistics to describe the clarity and ease of understanding of speech or writing.

Word Frequency Rank

Positioned at #20,434, this word is part of extensive vocabulary. It's relatively rare in general usage but may be important in specific fields or formal writing.