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

• cleverness
• creativeness
• creativity
• imagination
• imaginativeness
• ingeniousness
• innovativeness
• invention
• inventiveness
• originality

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

True innovation, such as designing a brand new UX framework or identifying and providing solutions to novel problems, still falls squarely within the range of human ingenuity. —Manish Mittal, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025

Yet despite these hurdles, the Voyagers continue to function — a testament to both their robust design and the ingenuity of the teams managing them. —Victoria Corless, Space.com, 15 May 2025

Ridley Scott One of the best late films from an all-time master, this sci-fi gem sees Matt Damon playing an astronaut who gets stranded on Mars and has to use his ingenuity to get home. —Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 5 May 2025

But audacity combined with artistic ingenuity is still the best bet for holding one’s head high in an American theater devoid of safety. —Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 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