borderline intelligence
- noun
- /ˈbɔrdərˌlaɪn ɪnˈtɛlɪdʒəns/
- Specialized
:
inteligencia límite
- Individuals with borderline intelligence can often live independently but may require some assistance with daily tasks.
Examples
-
He was diagnosed with borderline intelligence, which means he has an IQ that is just above the level considered to be intellectually disabled.
-
Teaching students with borderline intelligence requires special strategies to help them succeed in a regular classroom environment.
-
Some will have little problem with this; however, many capital defendants are poorly educated, have borderline intelligence, or are mentally ill.
Academic text (2006)
Antonyms
How Intelligent
1
8.2
1
6.0
- Specialized
- Specialized
- Archaic
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase combines 'borderline' (near a threshold or scarcely satisfactory) with 'intelligence' (capacity to learn and reason), so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it means intelligence at or near a lower threshold. Although the precise clinical IQ range is technical, the basic sense 'low/near-threshold intelligence' is directly compositional and cross-linguistically transparent.
Etymology
Borderline intelligence comes from the image of a person standing on the borderline between two areas, one called 'normal' and the other 'intellectual disability'. So, it means having intelligence just at the edge of 'normal', able to live independently in many cases but close to 'intellectual disability'.