genie
noun
jinn.
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genie
American
[jee-nee]
/ ˈdʒi ni /
noun
-
Islamic Mythology. jinn.
-
a spirit, often appearing in human form, that when summoned by a person carries out the wishes of the summoner.
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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
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.
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
Take-Two management said on its last earnings call that Genie technology could be a useful tool for creators.
From Barron's • Mar. 28, 2026
After Google launched Genie, which lets customers use AI to make video games, shares of video-game companies took a beating.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 4, 2026
Genie, on the other hand, didn’t have that talent, and after a few seconds of sliding down the hill, he slipped.
From "As Brave As You" by Jason Reynolds
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.
