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genius

noun
ge·​nius | \ ˈjēn-yəs How to pronounce genius (audio) , ˈjē-nē-əs\
plural geniuses or genii\ ˈjē-​nē-​ˌī How to pronounce genii (audio) \

Definition of genius

1a plural genii : an attendant spirit of a person or place
b plural usually genii : a person who influences another for good or bad He has been accused of being his brother's evil genius.
2 : a strong leaning or inclination : penchant
3a : a peculiar, distinctive, or identifying character or spirit the genius of our democratic government
b : the associations and traditions of a place
c : a personification or embodiment especially of a quality or condition
4 plural usually genii : spirit, jinni

5 plural usually geniuses

a : a single strongly marked capacity or aptitude had a genius for getting along with boys— Mary Ross
b : extraordinary intellectual power especially as manifested in creative activity
c : a person endowed with extraordinary mental superiority especially : a person with a very high IQ
Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym The Spiritual Origins of Genius More Example Sentences Learn More about genius

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Choose the Right Synonym for genius

gift, faculty, aptitude, bent, talent, genius, knack mean a special ability for doing something. gift often implies special favor by God or nature. the gift of singing beautifully faculty applies to an innate or less often acquired ability for a particular accomplishment or function. a faculty for remembering names aptitude implies a natural liking for some activity and the likelihood of success in it. a mechanical aptitude bent is nearly equal to aptitude but it stresses inclination perhaps more than specific ability. a family with an artistic bent talent suggests a marked natural ability that needs to be developed. has enough talent to succeed genius suggests impressive inborn creative ability. has no great genius for poetry knack implies a comparatively minor but special ability making for ease and dexterity in performance. the knack of getting along

The Spiritual Origins of Genius

The belief system of the ancient Romans included spirits that were somewhere in between gods and humans and were thought to accompany each person through life as a protector. The Latin name for this spirit was genius, which came from the verb gignere, meaning "to beget." This sense of "attendant spirit" was first borrowed into English in the 14th century. Part of such a spirit's role was to protect a person's moral character, and from that idea an extended sense developed in the 16th century meaning "an identifying character." In time, that meaning was extended to cover a special ability for doing something, and eventually genius acquired senses referring particularly to "very great intelligence" and "people of great intelligence."

Examples of genius in a Sentence

Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton were great scientific geniuses. You don't have to be a genius to see that this plan will never work. He was a genius at handling the press. She's now widely recognized as an artist of genius. He's admired for his comic genius. My plan is simple—that's the genius of it. The genius of these new computers is their portability.
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Recent Examples on the Web

 That suspension of reality is what made The Bell such a genius brand activation and only a subpar hotel, at least for this crabby journalist with a tenuous relationship with the franchise (and fast food in general). — Mitchell Kuga, Condé Nast Traveler, "A Stay at the Taco Bell Hotel in Palm Springs," 21 Aug. 2019 First, Marriner Eccles, the Utah businessman and banker who was the architect of the modern Federal Reserve, was a genius. — Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, "Edward Lotterman: Hooray for complexity in the Federal Reserve’s structure," 3 Aug. 2019 Yet the cult of the talented genius remains strong, especially here in Silicon Valley. — Mark Orttung, Quartz at Work, "Why you should hire fewer geniuses," 30 July 2019 The basic storyline remains the same — Matilda Wormwood (played by a very talented Charity Rose in her Moonlight debut) is a young genius who as a toddler taught herself how to read and do mathematics. — Elizabeth Marie Himchak, Pomerado News, "REVIEW: ‘Matilda the Musical’ has surprise twists on movie’s plot," 24 July 2019 From the furnace of her genius emerged a book that melded America’s past into a work of enduring art — gothic, magical, magisterial. — Ron Charles, Washington Post, "Toni Morrison not only remade American literature, she challenged us to resist the tenacity of racism," 6 Aug. 2019 Morrison, in her own genius and unique way, became famous of her exquisite works dedicated to telling the story of the Black experience. — Essence, "Photos Of Toni Morrison's Life Through The Years," 6 Aug. 2019 The switch-up allows Tarantino to both exercise his genius for cinematic bloodlust and to take imagined revenge — his and ours — for a crime that changed the film industry and American pop culture. — Ty Burr, BostonGlobe.com, "‘The Great Hack’ looks at how history was changed, and Tarantino changes history," 1 Aug. 2019 Abbott compellingly details his life and times, rise and fall, delusions, paranoia and, frankly, his genius. — Rick Kogan, chicagotribune.com, "Karen Abbott brings George Remus to life in new book," 1 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'genius.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of genius

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

History and Etymology for genius

Latin, tutelary spirit, natural inclinations, from gignere to beget

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More Definitions for genius

genius

noun
How to pronounce genius (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of genius

: a very smart or talented person : a person who has a level of talent or intelligence that is very rare or remarkable
: a person who is very good at doing something
: great natural ability : remarkable talent or intelligence

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