genie
noun
jinn.
genie
American
[jee-nee]
/ ˈdʒi ni /
noun
-
genies
plural
-
Islamic Mythology. jinn.
-
a spirit, often appearing in human form, that when summoned by a person carries out the wishes of the summoner.
-
any spirit; demon.
genie
1
British
/ ˈdʒiːnɪ /
noun
-
(in fairy tales and stories) a servant who appears by magic and fulfils a person's wishes
-
another word for jinni
Genie
2
British
/ ˈdʒiːnɪ /
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of genie
1645–55; < French génie < Latin genius; see genius
Explanation
A genie is a mythological spirit. In stories, most genies are described as magical beings that live inside lamps or bottles and grant people's wishes. The word genie comes from the French génie, a word that was coined for the French translation of the book Arabian Nights and comes from the Arabic jinni. Genies were a staple of ancient Arabian myths, and later of Islamic folktales. If you've ever seen the movie Aladdin, you know the popular version of a genie, who appears to grant wishes after being summoned from an oil lamp.
Vocabulary lists containing genie
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“The AI genie is out of the bottle,” Tengler wrote in a Monday note, highlighting that AI adoption is occurring across diverse industries outside of tech and leading to productivity improvements.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 14, 2026
"I don't know how they're going to put the genie back in the bottle," Lee told AFP.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
However, speaking to the BBC earlier this year, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said the "genie was out of the bottle" and new laws could be introduced if parliamentary time became available.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
“The genie is out of the bottle given that the longstanding threat of Iran effectively closing the strait has now materialized.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 4, 2026
Outside, a brilliant light lit up the windows, brighter than the sunlight had been before it was blocked out by the genie.
From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley
Previous demos of world models, like the Genie models unveiled by Google DeepMind, focused on generating new worlds to train robots.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
According to Crowley’s attorneys Genie Harrison and Mia Munro, the mayor knowingly made false statements in her personal capacity and as an election candidate, which they say are not protected by government immunity.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2026
The company has a separate AI agent for developers called Genie Code.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026
The 45-year-old Genie in a Bottle singer last played in the UK in 2022 and visited London, Manchester and Liverpool.
From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026
No way was Genie going to miss out on slinging poop.
From "As Brave As You" by Jason Reynolds
For centuries there have been stories that it harboured jinns, or genies.
From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2021
His novels are tricked out with genies and tarot cards and magic mirrors and references to things like evil chicken entrails powder and witches and dragon ladies.
From New York Times ● May 24, 2021
All other genies wish they looked as magical as Houston Texans star Hopkins did this Halloween, fully committing to this mystical ensemble with blue body paint and lavish jewelry.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 1, 2019
I try to play two small roles at these annual events: One, I help my friends make sure the various Princess Elsas, dragons, Pokémon and genies do not wander too close to a burning gourd.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 17, 2019
He was also very wrong about there not being anything like magic powers or genies or angels.
From "The Watsons Go to Birmingham" by Christopher Paul Curtis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
