smart: Like, smart and clever in terms of intelligence. I know if you say to a person that that person is clever, that may mean offensive, because he/she might be clever in doing tricks to people or sth like that, do you see wht i mean? but yea clever in terms of intelligence, and forexample, what does it mean when a person would say: It's not important how clever individuals are; what really matters is how smart the collective brain is. oh and btw, I also dont really get what he means by "collective brain" thanks!What is the difference between smart and clever?He's smart usually suggests intelligence in all things. Clever is often used because the person did well in a certain area. He might be clever when he cheats, but he might also be good at finding solutions in a chemistry class because he is clever.