Sign In Get Started
Prepositions with nouns

of, in, with, for or on intelligence?

Intelligence combines with different prepositions depending on whether you mean ability, information, or military intelligence.

Quick answer

Common prepositions with "intelligence"

Intelligence on and intelligence about are common when referring to information or espionage. Intelligence in describes skill in a subject area. Of intelligence is uncommon except in formal descriptions such as "a person of intelligence."

The agency gathered intelligence on the region.
She showed great intelligence in solving the problem.
They shared intelligence about the cyberattack.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
intelligence on + topic/target

Referring to gathered information

On is common in military, political, and business contexts.

The report contains intelligence on market trends.
Officials collected intelligence on illegal networks.
2
intelligence about + subject

Giving information about something

About is used in more general contexts for information or knowledge.

We received intelligence about the merger.
They exchanged intelligence about security threats.
3
intelligence in + field

Showing ability in an area

In is used when discussing skill or mental ability related to a field or activity.

She demonstrated intelligence in mathematics.
The child shows intelligence in problem-solving.
4
person of intelligence

Describing someone's intellect

Of intelligence is formal and describes a person as intelligent.

He is a man of intelligence and experience.
They admired her as a woman of intelligence.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
intelligence on
The agency gathered intelligence on foreign operations.
information collected about a target or issue
intelligence about
We heard intelligence about the planned changes.
general information about a subject
intelligence in
She has intelligence in strategic planning.
ability or skill in a field
intelligence with
The robot operates with artificial intelligence.
with introduces the method or feature in the wider sentence

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using of intelligence too broadly

Of intelligence is mostly formal and used for describing people.

✕ students of intelligence ✓ intelligent students

Confusing on and about

On is more common for collected or strategic information.

✕ military intelligence about enemy positions ✓ military intelligence on enemy positions

Using for instead of in

In is preferred for areas of ability or skill.

✕ intelligence for science ✓ intelligence in science

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The officers gathered intelligence ___ the border situation.
2. She showed remarkable intelligence ___ engineering.
3. They exchanged intelligence ___ the attack.

Check your sentence in context

Paste the complete sentence below. Linguix checks the preposition together with grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style.

Free to try · No signup required

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between "intelligence on" and "intelligence about"?

Intelligence on is common in strategic or official contexts, while intelligence about is broader and more general.

Can I say "a person of intelligence"?

Yes. It is formal but correct English.

Is "with intelligence" a fixed expression?

Usually no. With often belongs to the wider sentence, such as "a system with artificial intelligence."

of, about, against, to or for racism? of, about, for, in or on friendship? of, about, for, on or to thing? of, about, for, to or with sex? of, about, on, to or for moon? "of access" or "with access"? "of accommodation" or "for accommodation"? "of accuracy" or "for accuracy"? "of action" or "in action"? "of actor", "with actor" or "by actor"? "of address" or "to address"? "of administration" or "in administration"?

Write with confidence in Linguix

Create a free account to check complete texts, apply suggestions, and save your documents.

Create a free account