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intelligentsia

social group
Also known as: intelligentsiya

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The term "intelligentsia" refers to intellectuals who are considered an artistic, social, or political vanguard or elite. It is a social group often associated with the literati or clerisy. The word originated from the Russian term intelligentsiya, derived from the Latin word for intelligence. This group is sometimes seen as distinct from the general population, as exemplified by a political candidate who might be favored by the intelligentsia but not by others.12

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