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.
A typical plot could have a down-on-his-luck young man meeting a friendly genie or a couple from different classes defying all odds and melodrama to marry.
From BBC • May 1, 2026
“We may not be able to put this genie back into the bottle,” he added.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026
We stopped by a wishing well, where a worker handed me a token to throw down to an animated genie who promised to grant my desires.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 23, 2025
The Epstein genie is out of the bottle.
From Salon • Jul. 28, 2025
But the genie is already out of the lamp.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
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.
