Link Centre Dictionary

ingenious

in·ge·nious

UK/ɪnˈd͡ʒiːnjəs/ US/ɪnˈd͡ʒiːni.əs/ fairly common

adjective

1.

(used of persons or artifacts) marked by independence and creativity in thought or action

  • “an imaginative use of material”
  • “the invention of the knitting frame by another ingenious English clergyman” Lewis Mumford
  • “an ingenious device”
  • “had an inventive turn of mind”
  • “inventive ceramics”
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2.

skillful (or showing skill) in adapting means to ends

  • “cool prudence and sensitive selfishness along with quick perception of what is possible--these distinguish an adroit politician”
  • “came up with a clever story”
  • “an ingenious press agent”
  • “an ingenious scheme”
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3.

showing inventiveness and skill

  • “a clever gadget”
  • “the cunning maneuvers leading to his success”
  • “an ingenious solution to the problem”
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Origin

Borrowed from Middle French ingénieux, from Old French engenious, from Latin ingeniōsus (“endowed with good natural capacity, gifted with genius”), from ingenium (“innate or natural quality, natural capacity, genius”), from in- (“in”) + gignere (“to produce”), Old Latin genere. See also engine.

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Word family

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.