ingenuity

noun in·ge·nu·i·ty \ ˌin-jə-ˈnü-ə-tē , -ˈnyü- \

Updated on: 13 May 2018

Definition of ingenuity

plural ingenuities

1 obsolete : candor, ingenuousness

2 a : skill or cleverness in devising or combining : inventiveness

b : cleverness or aptness of design or contrivance

3 : an ingenious device or contrivance

See ingenuity defined for English-language learners

See ingenuity defined for kids

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 of ingenuity from the Web

Neal says his mission was to turn it into an inn, while keeping the structure largely intact as a monument to 1960s construction ingenuity.

— mark price, charlotteobserver, "Old Coast Guard tower that became a floating bed and breakfast is now up for auction | Charlotte Observer," 2 May 2018
The artist — who outside the studio is Brandon Perlman, the son of actor Ron Perlman — works with rudimentary gear that requires ingenuity to master.

— randall roberts, latimes.com, "California Sounds: Melvins, Kadhja Bonet and Delroy Edwards are full of brilliant surprises," 27 Apr. 2018
With so much lavishness, surprise, and ingenuity, how does Queen Bey top herself for a second performance at Coachella?

— gabe bergado, Teen Vogue, "14 Ways Beyoncé Could Top Her First Coachella 2018 Performance," 21 Apr. 2018
In launching an institute that focuses on teaching innovation, Tullman said the goal is to train students beyond their technical education to focus also upon ingenuity.

— dawn rhodes, chicagotribune.com, "Former 1871 CEO Howard Tullman named first director of Illinois Tech innovation institute," 16 Apr. 2018
That ingenuity has reduced spending on course materials over the years and placed further pressure on print textbook sales.

— danielle douglas-gabriel, Washington Post, "Battle over college course material is a textbook example of technological change," 14 Apr. 2018
Far Cry 5, like most of the Far Cry games before it, exists primarily as a chaos engine built to power your first-person Rambo fantasy of taking on armies armed with a lot of guns and a little ingenuity.

— joshua rivera, GQ, "Far Cry 5 Review: Finally, a Video Game for Cowards," 2 Apr. 2018
Instead, Innovation By All is about a bigger, more powerful ingenuity engine.

— ed frauenheim, Fortune, "How Edward Jones Keeps Its Employees Happy to Come to Work," 27 Mar. 2018
Kabuka Little Dandy 24 Runabout Japanese ingenuity—to the max.

— bruce mccall, Esquire, "5 Electric Cars That Are Too Weird to Believe," 15 Mar. 2018

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

First Known Use of ingenuity

circa 1592

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

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ingenuity Synonyms

Synonyms

cleverness, creativeness, creativity, imagination, imaginativeness, ingeniousness, innovativeness, invention, inventiveness, originality;

Near Antonyms

dryness, dullness (also dulness);

capableness, resourcefulness;

genius, giftedness, talent;

fire, inspiration, muse;

INGENUITY Defined for English Language Learners

ingenuity

noun

Definition of ingenuity for English Language Learners

: skill or cleverness that allows someone to solve problems, invent things, etc.
: a clever device or method

INGENUITY Defined for Kids

ingenuity

noun in·ge·nu·ity \ ˌin-jə-ˈnü-ə-tē , -ˈnyü- \

Definition of ingenuity for Students

plural ingenuities

: skill or cleverness in discovering, inventing, or planning

Learn More about ingenuity

See words that rhyme with ingenuity Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for ingenuity Spanish Central: Translation of ingenuity Nglish: Translation of ingenuity for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of ingenuity for Arabic speakers

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ingenuity

Definition of ingenuity

Examples of ingenuity in a Sentence

Recent Examples of ingenuity from the Web

First Known Use of ingenuity

ingenuity Synonyms

Synonyms

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INGENUITY Defined for English Language Learners

ingenuity

Definition of ingenuity for English Language Learners

INGENUITY Defined for Kids

ingenuity

Definition of ingenuity for Students

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