genius
[jeen-yuh s]
- an exceptional natural capacity of intellect, especially as shown in creative and original work in science, art, music, etc.: the genius of Mozart.
- a person having such capacity.
- a person having an extraordinarily high intelligence rating on a psychological test, as an IQ above 140.
- natural ability or capacity; strong inclination: a special genius for leadership.
- distinctive character or spirit, as of a nation, period, or language.
- the guardian spirit of a place, institution, etc.
- either of two mutually opposed spirits, one good and the other evil, supposed to attend a person throughout life.
- 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.
- Islamic Mythology. jinn; genie.
- genie(def 3).
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Origin of genius
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for geniuses
Contemporary Examples
All this shows the real problem when telling the story of geniuses: exposition.
From The Innovators: How A Group Of Hackers, Geniuses, And Geeks Created The Digital Revolution by Walter Isaacson.
Apparently the geniuses at Fox believe that the world leaders have no idea that we have racial problems in the United States.
Well, a lot of people who have been called crazy later went on to be recognized as geniuses.
Geniuses became the saints of an increasingly secular Europe.
Historical Examples
Geniuses are common enough nowadays; there are plenty more where he came from.
Audrey CravenMay Sinclair
It's the drink, ye see, as does for a terrible lot o' geniuses.
A Window in ThrumsJ. M. Barrie
However, you two young ones are the geniuses of the family, and we'll look to you.
A Houseful of GirlsSarah Tytler
Of course, if we have ideas that other people never think of, it means we are geniuses!
Chatterbox, 1906Various
Geniuses are always different from other people, aren't they?
VirginiaEllen Glasgow
genius
- a person with exceptional ability, esp of a highly original kind
- such ability or capacityMozart's musical genius
- the distinctive spirit or creative nature of a nation, era, language, etc
- a person considered as exerting great influence of a certain sortan evil genius
- Roman myth
- the guiding spirit who attends a person from birth to death
- the guardian spirit of a place, group of people, or institution
- Arabian myth (usually plural) a demon; jinn
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Word Origin
C16: from Latin, from gignere to beget
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for geniuses
genius
n.
late 14c., "tutelary god (classical or pagan)," from Latin genius "guardian deity or spirit which watches over each person from birth; spirit, incarnation, wit, talent;" also "prophetic skill," originally "generative power," from root of gignere "beget, produce" (see kin), from PIE root *gen- "produce." Sense of "characteristic disposition" is from 1580s. Meaning "person of natural intelligence or talent" and that of "natural ability" are first recorded 1640s.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper