brainpower

English

Etymology

From brain +‎ power.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈbɹeɪnˌpaʊə/, /ˈbɹeɪnˌpaʊ.ə/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈbɹeɪnˌpaʊ.ɚ/, /ˈbɹeɪnˌpaʊɹ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Noun

brainpower (usually uncountable, plural brainpowers)

1. Mental ability; intelligence.

   He applied his brainpower to the problem.

2. (idiomatic) Intelligent people considered or regarded as a group.

   I suspect the think tank lacks the brainpower to function effectively.

   • 2014 April 3, Joel Kotkin, “America's New Brainpower Cities”, in Forbes:

     “Brainpower rankings usually identify the usual suspects: college towns like Boston, Washington, D.C., and the San Francisco Bay area. And to be sure, these places generally have the highest per capita education levels.”

Translations

mental ability — see intelligence