ingenuity

noun

in·​ge·​nu·​i·​ty ˌin-jə-ˈnü-ə-tē 

-ˈnyü-

plural ingenuities

1

a

: skill or cleverness in devising or combining : inventiveness

b

: cleverness or aptness of design or contrivance

2

: an ingenious device or contrivance

3

obsolete : candor, ingenuousness

Synonyms of ingenuity

• creativity
• creativeness
• imagination
• talent
• innovativeness
• inventiveness
• imaginativeness

Examples of ingenuity in a Sentence

She showed amazing ingenuity in finding ways to cut costs.

It will take considerable ingenuity to fix these problems.

Recent Examples on the Web

What readers are saying The comments express admiration for Ukrainian ingenuity and courage, particularly in their use of drones to save lives amidst the war with Russia. — Serhiy Morgunov, Washington Post, 6 Nov. 2026

In the age of artificial intelligence, the film has become a symbol of human craft and ingenuity. — José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 5 Nov. 2026

After all, these days, Indigenous ingenuity and craftsmanship expresses itself across all sorts of fashion and beauty categories. — Christian Allaire, Vogue, 5 Nov. 2026

At this point, the chasm narrows to just 30 feet wide, creating a bottleneck that required a little ingenuity to get a train through. — Sarah Kuta, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Nov. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1592, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Rhymes for ingenuity

• acuity
• annuity
• circuity
• congruity
• fatuity
• gratuity
• tenuity
• vacuity
• ambiguity
• contiguity
• continuity
• incongruity

Kids Definition

ingenuity

noun

in·​ge·​nu·​ity

ˌin-jə-ˈn(y)ü-ət-ē

plural ingenuities

1

: skill or cleverness in discovering, inventing, or planning

2

: an ingenious device