Advertisement

Advertisement

View synonyms for

genius

[ jeen-yuhs ]

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: , ,

  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: , , , ,

    Antonyms: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

  4. natural ability or capacity; strong inclination:

    a special genius for leadership.

    Synonyms: , , , , , , , , , ,

  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.


genius

/ 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
“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
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of genius1

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of genius1

C16: from Latin, from gignere to beget
Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

There’s much more to the book than that, including a reflection on the protean musical genius Brian Eno, whose work has involved cybernetic ideas for more than half a century.

From

Critics say it was a poor look for the sport, others feel it was a stroke of promotional genius.

From

Alberti was a genius — a polymath who grew up in exile from Florence.

From

Instead, I got scolded about how I should stop trying to "act like a man," and that women's "gifts" and "genius" are — surprise! — about the ability to "generously live for others."

From

Control, structure, counter, quality, a player of genius but submitted to the group, they all think the same way.

From

Advertisement

Discover More

Is The Plural Of Genius?

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.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


genituregenius loci