ingenuity

[in-juh-noo-i-tee, -nyoo-]

noun

plural

ingenuities 

1. the quality of being cleverly inventive or resourceful; inventiveness.

   a designer of great ingenuity.

2. cleverness or skillfulness of conception or design.

   a device of great ingenuity.

3. an ingenious contrivance or device.

4. Obsolete.,  ingenuousness.

ingenuity

/ ˌɪndʒɪˈnjuːɪtɪ /

noun

1. inventive talent; cleverness

2. an ingenious device, act, etc

3. archaic,  frankness; candour

Other Word Forms

• hyperingenuity noun
• superingenuity noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of ingenuity¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin ingenuitās “innate virtue, etc.” ( ingenuous, -ity ); current senses by association with ingenious

Word History and Origins

Origin of ingenuity¹

C16: from Latin ingenuitās a freeborn condition, outlook consistent with such a condition, from ingenuus native, freeborn (see _ingenuous ); meaning influenced by _ingenious

Example Sentences

New defense tech companies are a marvel of American ingenuity, but their success depends on the Pentagon buying their wares at scale—and soon.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

But a more fitting name for this feat of AI is American ingenuity, which includes a mix of human agency, nimble capital and a culture of dynamism.

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The scene had cost a fortune to make and had taken all the technical ingenuity at Disney’s command.

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Helpful characters appear out of sheer coincidence, the tone shifts abruptly at times, and Ben keeps getting out of sticky situations because of luck rather than ingenuity.

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“Prey” gave us an 18th-century Comanche woman, Naru, who beat her tribe’s hunter from beyond the stars with the same ingenuity that Dutch employed.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• ability 
• brilliance 
• dexterity 
• flair 
• genius 
• gumption 
• intelligence 
• inventiveness www.thesaurus.com
• resourcefulness www.thesaurus.com
• shrewdness 
• skill 
• talent 
• wisdom 
• wit