genius

noun ge·nius \ ˈjēn-yəs , ˈjē-nē-əs \

|Updated on: 12 Aug 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: genius in a Sentence

Editor's Note: The Spiritual Origins of genius

Definition of genius

plural geniuses or genii play \ˈjē-nē-ˌī\

1 a 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

3 a : 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

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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.

Recent Examples of genius from the Web

Out of it all, a dense, elastic web of musical allusions, connections, and transformations, key to a full appreciation of Wagner's genius, emerged in crisp focus.

— zachary lewis, cleveland.com, "Cleveland Orchestra brews potent concoction with concert account of 'Tristan and Isolde' (review)," 23 Apr. 2018
His cross-eyes and panting-dog demeanor belie a natural genius, which is the player's talent at jumping on enemies and spinning into them like a dervish to vanquish them.

— harold goldberg, chicagotribune.com, "Classic games, lovingly reimagined in 'Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy'," 13 July 2018
The slightest expression of compassion, of putting the feelings of another before his own, is, in a man of literary genius, an act of valor.

— dana snitzky, Longreads, "Hemingway’s Last Girl," 12 July 2018
Unfortunately this is a guru, tech genius, scientist who uses his wealth and power for nefarious means.

— samantha powell, The Cut, "Sorry to Bother You’s Costume Designer on Dressing Tessa Thompson," 10 July 2018
It is well known that Conan Doyle borrowed Bell’s deductive genius (and his profile) for his fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes.

— The Economist, "When Arthur Conan Doyle cried “J’Accuse…!”," 7 July 2018
God blessed Nicole with many gifts: the mind of a genius, a generous heart and a wonderful sense of humor.

— courant.com, "Nicole Maria Duchesneau," 7 July 2018
Only geniuses tinkering away in the basements of computer and cellphone companies really know.

— tia coates, USA TODAY, "Is refusing to give your WI-FI password at a family gathering a bad idea?," 29 June 2018
Call it luck or genius, less than a decade ago, Buick's marketing and product developers foresaw consumers' evolving preference for SUVs and crossovers instead of sedans.

— jamie l. lareau, Detroit Free Press, "The GM brand that nearly died and the unlikely buyers saving it," 27 June 2018

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.

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."

Origin and Etymology of genius

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

genius Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of 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

GENIUS Defined for English Language Learners

genius

noun

Definition of genius for English Language Learners

: 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