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

Conquering the world – or the World Series, anyway – takes concentration, ingenuity and, yes, a whole lot of money. —Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025

Clients hired Adjaye’s outfit not only for its technical expertise and ingenuity but also for the leader’s aesthetic and stature. —Justin Davidson, Curbed, 3 Nov. 2025

The show’s ingenuity lies in the fact that the answers to these questions only create more questions. —Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2025

Where traditional shipbuilding relied on labor and scale, the new frontier rewards autonomy, precision, and adaptability — domains where American ingenuity excels. —Big Think, 28 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1592, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Rhymes for ingenuity

• ambiguity
• contiguity
• continuity
• incongruity
• perpetuity
• perspicuity
• promiscuity
• superfluity
• acuity
• annuity
• circuity
• congruity

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