Definition of Intelligible
The concept of intelligible comes
from the Latin word intelligibĭlis . It is an adjective that
refers to what can be understood .
For example: "The
scientist avoided the specialized vocabulary and gave an intelligible
explanation, which all present understood without major difficulties" , "The
posters with the indications must be intelligible to avoid accidents" , "The
texts of the German sociologist are not intelligible for the general public
" .
Certain speeches or expressions ,
due to their characteristics and content, can be difficult to understand for
those who do not have technical or specialized knowledge. Therefore, in
order to broaden the scope of what has been communicated and allow more people
to have access to what has been expressed, these issues must sometimes be taken
into account in order to produce an intelligible address.
Suppose a surgeon has just
performed a complex surgical procedure on a famous
singer. Dozens of journalists are waiting at the door of the hospital to
provide a medical report and tell the society what kind of evil afflicted the
figure, what kind of operation was performed and how it is expected to
evolve. The surgeon, in this frame, will have to make an effort
to make declarations that are intelligible : if it abounds in terms
proper to medicine and alien to the colloquial language, neither the
journalists nor the spectators or listeners will be able to understand.
Intelligible, on the other hand,
refers to what can be heard clearly and clearly : "With
a barely intelligible whisper, the woman confessed what she had done" , "In
the distance she heard a little intelligible cry, which she interpreted as a
request for help . "
