Definitions for genius
ˈdʒin yəs; ˈdʒi niˌaɪge·nius

Princeton's WordNet(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. genius, mastermind, brain, brainiac, Einsteinnoun

   someone who has exceptional intellectual ability and originality

   "Mozart was a child genius"; "he's smart but he's no Einstein"

2. brilliance, geniusnoun

   unusual mental ability

3. ace, adept, champion, sensation, maven, mavin, virtuoso, genius, hotshot, star, superstar, whiz, whizz, wizard, wiznoun

   someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field

4. genius, wizardrynoun

   exceptional creative ability

5. flair, geniusnoun

   a natural talent

   "he has a flair for mathematics"; "he has a genius for interior decorating"

Wiktionary(5.00 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. geniusnoun

   Someone possessing extraordinary intelligence or skill; especially somebody who has demonstrated this by a creative or original work in science, music, art etc.

2. geniusnoun

   Extraordinary mental capacity.

3. geniusnoun

   inspiration, a mental leap, an extraordinary creative process.

   A work of genius

4. geniusnoun

   The guardian spirit of a place or person.

5. geniusnoun

   A way of thinking, optimizing one's capacity for learning and understanding.

6. Etymology: From genius, from gignere, genere, the root gen; see genus.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. GENIUSnoun

   Etymology: Latin; genie, French.

   1. The protecting or ruling power of men, places, or things.

   There is none but he
   Whose being I do fear: and, under him,
   My genius is rebuk’d; as it is said
   Antony’s was by Cæsar. William Shakespeare, Macbeth.

   The genius and the mortal instruments
   Are then in council; and the state of man,
   Like to a little kingdom, suffers then. William Shakespeare, Jul. Cæsar.

   And as I awake, sweet musick breathe,
   Sent by some spirit to mortals good,
   Or th’ unseen genius of the wood. John Milton.

   And the tame demon that should guard my throne,
   Shrinks at a genius greater than his own. Dryden.

   To your glad genius sacrifice this day;
   Let common meats respectfully give way. Dryden.

   2. A man endowed with superiour faculties.

   There is no little writer of Pindarick who is not mentioned as a prodigious genius. Addison.

   3. Mental power or faculties.

   The state and order does proclaim
   The genius of that royal dame. Edmund Waller.

   4. Disposition of nature by which any one is qualified for some peculiar employment.

   A happy genius is the gift of nature. John Dryden, Dufresnoy.

   Your majesty’s sagacity, and happy genius for natural history, is a better preparation for enquiries of this kind than all the dead learning of the schools. Thomas Burnet, Theory, Preface.

   One science only will one genius fit;
   So vast is art, so narrow human wit. Alexander Pope, on Criticism.

   The Romans, though they had no great genius for trade, yet were not entirely neglectful of it. John Arbuthnot, on Coins.

   5. Nature; disposition.

   Studious to please the genius of the times,
   With periods, points and tropes he slurs his crimes. Dryd.

   Another genius and disposition improper for philosophical contemplations is not so much from the narrowness of their spirit and understanding, as because they will not take time to extend them. Thomas Burnet, Theory of the Earth, Preface.

   He tames the genius of the stubborn plain. Alexander Pope.

Wikipedia(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Genius

   A genius is a person who displays exceptional intellectual ability, creative productivity, universality in genres, or originality, typically to a degree that is associated with the achievement of new discoveries or advances in a domain of knowledge. Geniuses may be polymaths who excel across many diverse subjects or may show high achievements in only a single kind of activity.There is no scientifically precise definition of a genius. The term is also defined as the exceptional ability itself, as simply genius without the article. In that sense of the word, sometimes genius is associated with talent, but several authors such as Cesare Lombroso and Arthur Schopenhauer systematically distinguish these terms. Walter Isaacson, biographer of many well-known geniuses, explains that although high intelligence may be a prerequisite, the most common trait that actually defines a genius may be the extraordinary ability to apply creativity and imaginative thinking to almost any situation.

Webster Dictionary(2.50 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Geniusnoun

   a good or evil spirit, or demon, supposed by the ancients to preside over a man's destiny in life; a tutelary deity; a supernatural being; a spirit, good or bad. Cf. Jinnee

2. Geniusnoun

   the peculiar structure of mind with whoch each individual is endowed by nature; that disposition or aptitude of mind which is peculiar to each man, and which qualifies him for certain kinds of action or special success in any pursuit; special taste, inclination, or disposition; as, a genius for history, for poetry, or painting

3. Geniusnoun

   peculiar character; animating spirit, as of a nation, a religion, a language

4. Geniusnoun

   distinguished mental superiority; uncommon intellectual power; especially, superior power of invention or origination of any kind, or of forming new combinations; as, a man of genius

5. Geniusnoun

   a man endowed with uncommon vigor of mind; a man of superior intellectual faculties; as, Shakespeare was a rare genius

Freebase(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Genius

   A genius is a person who displays exceptional intellectual ability, creativity, or originality, typically to a degree that is associated with the achievement of unprecedented insight. There is no scientifically precise definition of genius, and the question of whether the notion itself has any real meaning has long been a subject of debate. The term is used in various ways: to refer to a particular aspect of an individual, or the individual in his or her entirety; to a scholar in many subjects or a scholar in a single subject. Research into what causes genius and mastery is still in its early stages, and psychology offers relevant insights.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Genius

   jēn′yus, or jē′ni-us, n. the special inborn faculty of any individual: special taste or disposition qualifying for a particular employment: a man having such power of mind: a good or evil spirit, supposed by the ancients to preside over every person, place, and thing, and esp. to preside over a man's destiny from his birth: prevailing spirit or tendency: type or generic exemplification—(obs.) Gēn′io:—pl. Geniuses (jēn′yus-ez).—Genius loci (L.), the presiding divinity of a place:—pl. Genii (jē′ni-ī). [L. genius—gignĕre, genitum, to beget.]

The Roycroft Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. genius

   1. One who offends his time, his country and his relatives; hence, any person whose birthday is celebrated throughout the world about one hundred years after he has been crucified, burned, ostracized or otherwise put to death. 2. One who stands at both ends of a perspective; simultaneity of sight; to be one's self plus; to be synonym and antonym to everything. 3. The ability to act wisely without precedent--the power to do the right thing for the first time. 4. A capacity for evading hard work.

Military Dictionary and Gazetteer(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. genius

   In a military sense, natural talent or disposition to every kind of warlike employment, more than any other; or, the aptitude a man has received from nature to perform well and easily that which others can do but indifferently and with a great deal of pains.

Editors Contribution(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. genius

   The ability and creative intelligence of a human being or animal.

   Within every human being and animal is a genius on a path to having their potential unlocked and developed with patience, dignity and nurturing.

   
   

   Submitted by MaryC on September 8, 2016  

Suggested Resources(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. genius

   Song lyrics by genius -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by genius on the Lyrics.com website.

Matched Categories

1. • Creativity
   • Expert
   • Intellectual
   • Intelligence
   • Talent

British National Corpus

1. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'genius' in Nouns Frequency: #2766

How to pronounce genius?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say genius in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of genius in Chaldean Numerology is: 5

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of genius in Pythagorean Numerology is: 3

Examples of genius in a Sentence

1. RAS CARDO REGGAE:

   R.E.G.G.A.E = means redefining ghetto genius anywhere everywhere or anytime everytime.

2. F Scott:

   Genius is the ability to put into effect what is on your mind.

3. Denis Diderot:

   The general interest of the masses might take the place of the insight of genius if it were allowed freedom of action.

4. Keith Raniere:

   This trial has revealed that Keith Raniere, who portrayed Keith Raniere as a savant and a genius, was in fact a massive manipulator, a con man, and the crime boss of a cult-like organization involved in sex trafficking, child pornography, extortion, compelled abortions, branding, degradation and humiliation.

5. Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton:

   Common sense is only a modification of talent. Genius is an exaltation of it. The difference is, therefore, in degree, not nature.

Popularity rank by frequency of use