Intermediate scrutiny is a standard of judicial review used by courts to evaluate laws or government actions that affect certain rights, particularly those related to discrimination based on gender or legitimacy. Under this standard, the government must show that the law serves an important government interest and is substantially related to achieving that interest. This level of scrutiny is less rigorous than strict scrutiny, which applies to laws affecting fundamental rights or suspect classifications like race. However, it is more demanding than rational basis review, which only requires a reasonable relationship to a legitimate government interest.