genius

American  

[jeen-yuhs] / ˈdʒin yəs /

noun

plural

geniuses, genii

1. an exceptional natural capacity of intellect, especially as shown in creative and original work in science, art, music, etc..

   the genius of Mozart.

   Synonyms:

   wit, ingenuity, intelligence

2. a person having such capacity.

3. a person having an extraordinarily high intelligence rating on a psychological test, as an IQ above 140.

   Synonyms:

   brainiac, brain, whiz, expert, master

   Antonyms:

   dope, half-wit, imbecile, idiot, ninny, nitwit, blockhead, numbskull, dolt, dullard, dunce, simpleton, fool, moron

4. natural ability or capacity; strong inclination.

   a special genius for leadership.

   Synonyms:

   flair, bent, knack, penchant, predilection, endowment, faculty, aptitude, talent, gift, wizardry

5. distinctive character or spirit, as of a nation, period, or language.

6. the guardian spirit of a place, institution, etc.

7. either of two mutually opposed spirits, one good and the other evil, supposed to attend a person throughout life.

8. a person who strongly influences for good or ill the character, conduct, or destiny of a person, place, or thing.

   Rasputin, the evil genius of Russian politics.

9. Islamic Mythology. jinn; genie.

10. genie.

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genius British  

/ ˈdʒiːnɪəs, -njəs /

noun

1. a person with exceptional ability, esp of a highly original kind

2. such ability or capacity

   Mozart's musical genius

3. the distinctive spirit or creative nature of a nation, era, language, etc

4. a person considered as exerting great influence of a certain sort

   an evil genius

5. Roman myth

   1. the guiding spirit who attends a person from birth to death

   2. the guardian spirit of a place, group of people, or institution

6. Arabian myth (usually plural) a demon; jinn

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Usage

Plural word for genius The plural form of genius can be either geniuses or genii, pronounced [ jee-nee-ahy ], depending on the intended meaning of the word. Geniuses is much more commonly used. The plural forms of several other singular words that end in -us are also formed in this way, such as virus/viruses, callus/calluses, and status/statuses. Irregular plurals that are formed like genii, such as radius/radii or cactus/cacti, derive directly from their original pluralization in Latin. However, the standard English plural -es is often also acceptable for these terms, as in radiuses and cactuses.

Etymology

Origin of genius

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin: “tutelary deity or genius of a person”; genus

Example Sentences

As with Frank Lloyd Wright, another creative genius, some of Gehry’s buildings have encountered engineering and maintenance challenges.

From The Wall Street Journal

Limiting recruitment to elite institutions overlooks the strength and genius of our higher-education system.

From The Wall Street Journal

Because I think the genius of that film is the beautiful human thought behind the point of view of setting a Holocaust film in the general’s house over the wall in an opulent setting.

From Los Angeles Times

Neven is something of a legendary figure, part technological genius, part techno music enthusiast, who dresses like he has snowboarded here straight from the Burning Man music festival – for which he designs art.

From BBC

The sad part is these weren’t criminal geniuses.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• ability
• accomplishment
• acumen
• aptitude
• brilliance
• flair
• imagination
• ingenuity
• inspiration
• intelligence
• inventiveness
• originality
• prodigy
• prowess
• talent
• wisdom