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• genie
  genie

  noun

  jinn.
• Genie
  Genie

  noun

  an award given by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television in recognition of Canadian cinematic achievements

genie

American  

[jee-nee] / ˈdʒi ni /

noun

genies plural

1. Islamic Mythology. jinn.

2. a spirit, often appearing in human form, that when summoned by a person carries out the wishes of the summoner.

3. any spirit; demon.

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genie ¹ British  

/ ˈdʒiːnɪ /

noun

1. (in fairy tales and stories) a servant who appears by magic and fulfils a person's wishes

2. another word for jinni

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Genie ² British  

/ ˈdʒiːnɪ /

noun

1. an award given by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television in recognition of Canadian cinematic achievements

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• genies
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

genie Genie genies

“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

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

“So just like that, the proverbial genie is out of the bottle and it’s on videotape that I’m going to UCLA,” Easley would recall many years later.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 15, 2025

The Epstein genie is out of the bottle.

From Salon ● Jul. 28, 2025

Immediately, the flat face of the genie surfaced on the Mirror’s glass as if it were emerging from underwater.

From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley

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

Sid co-created 1960s and ’70s children’s TV shows that featured colorful and quirky characters like Weenie the Genie, Horatio J. HooDoo and Cha-Ka the ape-boy.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 13, 2026

Genie recognized it too, also from the phone calls.

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

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

According to Salman Rushdie’s new novel, most of what we know about genies is wrong, which makes me worry that I may have spent too much time watching Barbara Eden.

From Washington Post ● Sep. 1, 2015

The computer has atomized, as Mr. Rose likes to say, and its functions can be distributed about our households like an army of miniature genies.

From New York Times ● Jul. 16, 2014

“The younger genies are close to being all-powerful, but are forced by their elders to learn humility through service to lesser beings, usually humans.”

From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley