render intelligible

USAGE SUMMARY

"render intelligible" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it when discussing the process of making something understandable or clear. For example: "The teacher worked hard to render the complex theory intelligible to her students." Alternative expressions include "make clear," "clarify," and "explain."

✓ Grammatically correct

Academia

Science

Encyclopedias

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

For believers, writes Leiter in his new book, "Why Tolerate Religion?" religions "render intelligible and tolerable the basic existential facts about human life, such as suffering and death".

The New York Times

They permit the scientist to introduce into his descriptions a theoretical content that is lacking at the everyday level and in so doing to unify and render intelligible aspects of the world that seem opaque when considered singly.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Emacspeak [5] is a free screen reader for Emacs developed by T. V. Raman and first released in May 1995; it is tightly integrated with Emacs, allowing it to render intelligible and useful content rather than parsing the graphics.

Human-centric Computing and Information Sciences

One possibility is that doing so is necessary to render intelligible the response of the promisee when the coerced promisor reneges on her promise; we can understand why the promisee feels betrayed even if we do not think he is justified in feeling that way.

SEP

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

Our moral commitments unfold over time and cannot be rendered intelligible on the basis of first principles alone.

The New York Times - Books

They must be rendered intelligible, that is, without reducing them, as did the Cartesians, to the status of ephemera.

SEP

For such properties can be rendered intelligible by regarding them as arising from the primary properties and arrangements of underlying atoms.

SEP

The pursuit of collective memory was to constitute a major change in ethnographic practice: the 'life story' of local worlds, of bodies, magic, and markets could be rendered intelligible through the oral archive.

International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences

Parsons' motivational approach to the problem of order (emphasizing internalized values) implicates an analytically prior cognitive problem of order involving the process by which concrete actions are produced and rendered intelligible in relation to their circumstances.

International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences

An action is thus rendered intelligible through being embedded in a broader system of attitudes attributable to the agent — through being embedded, that is, in a broader framework of rationality.

SEP

The second aspect of Newton's argument is more intriguing it also harks back to Locke's discussion with Stillingfleet, for Locke had contended that God may have superadded not only gravity to material bodies, but also the power of thought, linking them because he believed that neither could be rendered intelligible using any philosophical means at his disposal.

SEP

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Reserve this phrase for formal writing; in casual conversation, prefer "make sense of" or "explain".

Common error

Do not confuse 'intelligible' (meaning understandable) with 'intelligent' (meaning smart). Saying you want to 'render a student intelligent' implies increasing their IQ, whereas "render intelligible" means making a concept clear for that student.

Linguistic Context

This is a transitive verb phrase consisting of the causative verb 'render' followed by an object and the predicative adjective 'intelligible'. According to Ludwig, it functions as a more sophisticated alternative to 'make'. It is often used to describe the transformative process of intellectual clarification.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science & Philosophy

55%

Encyclopedias

25%

News & Media

20%

Less common in

Business

8%

Wiki

5%

Social Media

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "render intelligible" is a high-level linguistic tool most commonly found in academic and philosophical discourse. While Ludwig AI notes that exact matches are relatively rare compared to simpler verbs, its presence in elite publications like The New York Times and the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy underscores its value in professional writing. It serves a specific communicative function: describing the active process of turning obscure information into clear, actionable knowledge. Writers should use it when they want to convey a sense of rigorous analysis or sophisticated explanation, ensuring they do not confuse it with the similar-sounding word 'intelligent'.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

render comprehensible

Uses a near-synonym for intelligible, maintaining a similar level of formal register

make understandable

Replaces the formal verb 'render' and the sophisticated 'intelligible' with more common Germanic roots

elucidate

A single-word verb that specifically implies shedding light on a difficult or dark subject

make clear

A simpler, more direct alternative used in both professional and casual contexts

render transparent

Suggests making the internal logic of a system or argument visible and obvious

explicate

Focuses on the detailed analysis required to make something understood

demystify

Implies removing the confusion or 'mystery' surrounding a complex topic

illuminate

A metaphorical alternative suggesting that clarity is achieved by bringing 'light' to the topic

render coherent

Focuses on making the parts of a whole fit together logically rather than just being understandable

clarify

A versatile and very common verb that is less stylistically heavy than 'render'

FAQs

What does it mean to "render intelligible"?

To "render intelligible" means to make something that was previously difficult or obscure easy to understand. You might use it as a more formal way to say "clarify" or "explain".

Is "render intelligible" too formal for a business email?

It depends on the audience. While it is perfectly correct, it may sound overly academic. For a standard business context, you might prefer to use "make it clear" or "ensure understanding".

What is the difference between "render intelligible" and "render comprehensible"?

They are nearly identical in meaning. However, "render intelligible" often implies that there is an inherent logic or structure that is being revealed, whereas "render comprehensible" refers more generally to the ability of a person to grasp the meaning.

Can I use "render intelligible" when talking about speech or audio?

Yes. If an accent or background noise makes someone hard to understand, a processor might "improve clarity" to "render intelligible" the dialogue.