ingenuity
Americannoun
plural
ingenuities-
the quality of being cleverly inventive or resourceful; inventiveness.
a designer of great ingenuity.
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cleverness or skillfulness of conception or design.
a device of great ingenuity.
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an ingenious contrivance or device.
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Obsolete. ingenuousness.
noun
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inventive talent; cleverness
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an ingenious device, act, etc
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archaic frankness; candour
Other Word Forms
- hyperingenuity noun
- superingenuity noun
Etymology
Origin of ingenuity
First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin ingenuitās “innate virtue, etc.” ( ingenuous, -ity ); current senses by association with ingenious
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.
But American military and tactical ingenuity was already on the case.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026
Outside of this problem, I have no doubt you will put your ingenuity to good use.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 23, 2026
"The American story is filled with innovation and ingenuity, perseverance and prejudice. Tensions that have fuelled some of the most extraordinary artistic achievements in history."
From BBC • Mar. 11, 2026
But 12 months is a lot of runway for a young player whose all-court ingenuity, appetite for improvement and ability to shed setbacks have generated lift.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 6, 2026
Actual detectives like Lépine and Bertillon began to expect this sort of ingenuity from actual thieves, especially in the so-called superior, refined class of crimes.
From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day
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.
