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.
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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Genie ² British

/ ˈdʒiːnɪ /

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

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Vocabulary lists containing genie

Novel Study: The Alchemist, Pages 89–171

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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.

“We may not be able to put this genie back into the bottle,” he added.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

“Oh. I’m sorry,” the genie proclaimed after a short pause.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 23, 2025

“You can’t put the genie back in the bottle now,” Huda Ammori, co-founder of Palestine Action, told Slate.

From Slate • Mar. 24, 2025

Selena Gomez is here, double nominee tonight, and she's here with her new fiancé Benny Blanco, and Benny Blanco is here because of the genie who granted him that wish.

From BBC • Jan. 5, 2025

Smiling, arms crossed over his chest like a genie, Coach declares, “We’re ready for a meet.”

From "Black Brother, Black Brother" by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023