Ingenuity

Ingenuity
Ingenuity In`ge*nu"i*ty, n. [L. ingenuitas ingenuousness: cf. F. ing['e]nuit['e]. See {Ingenuous}.] 1. The quality or power of ready invention; quickness or acuteness in forming new combinations; ingeniousness; skill in devising or combining. [1913 Webster]

All the means which human ingenuity has contrived. --Blair. [1913 Webster]

2. Curiousness, or cleverness in design or contrivance; as, the ingenuity of a plan, or of mechanism. [1913 Webster]

He gives . . . To artist ingenuity and skill. --Cowper. [1913 Webster]

3. Openness of heart; ingenuousness. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]

The stings and remorses of natural ingenuity, a principle that men scarcely ever shake off, as long as they carry anything of human nature about them. --South.

Syn: Inventiveness; ingeniousness; skill; cunning; cleverness; genius.

Usage: {Ingenuity}, {Cleverness}. Ingenuity is a form of genius, and cleverness of talent. The former implies invention, the letter a peculiar dexterity and readiness of execution. Sir James Mackintosh remarks that the English overdo in the use of the word clever and cleverness, applying them loosely to almost every form of intellectual ability. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • ingenuity — 1590s, honor, nobility, from M.Fr. ingénuité and directly from L. ingenuitatem (nom. ingenuitas) condition of a free born man, figuratively generosity, noble mindedness, from ingenuus (see INGENUOUS (Cf. ingenuous)). Etymologically, this word… …   Etymology dictionary

  • ingenuity — [in΄jə no͞o′ə tē, in΄jənyo͞o′ə tē] n. [L ingenuitas < ingenuus (see INGENUOUS): INGENUITY sense 1 infl. by assoc. with INGENIOUS] 1. Obs. the quality of being ingenuous 2. the quality of being ingenious; cleverness, originality, skill, etc. 3 …   English World dictionary

  • ingenuity — index artifice, gift (flair), performance (workmanship), skill, specialty (special aptitude) Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton …   Law dictionary

  • ingenuity — [n] cleverness ability, adroitness, astuteness, brains, brightness, brilliance, creativity, cunning, dexterity, flair, genius, gumption, intelligence, inventiveness, resourcefulness, shrewdness, skill, smartness, talent, wisdom, wit; concept 409 …   New thesaurus

  • ingenuity — ► NOUN ▪ the quality of being ingenious. ORIGIN Latin ingenuitas ingenuousness , from ingenuus inborn ; the current meaning arose by confusion of ingenuous with ingenious …   English terms dictionary

  • ingenuity — noun ADJECTIVE ▪ considerable, great ▪ a little ▪ technical ▪ human ▪ American, Yankee …   Collocations dictionary

  • ingenuity — n. 1) human ingenuity 2) the ingenuity to + inf. (she had the ingenuity to succeed where everyone else had failed) * * * [ˌɪndʒɪ njuːɪtɪ] human ingenuity the ingenuity to + inf. (she had the ingenuity to succeed where everyone else had failed) …   Combinatory dictionary

  • Ingenuity — The term ingenuity or applied ideas is used in the analysis of Thomas Homer Dixon, building on that of Paul Romer, to refer to what is usually called instructional capital. is often inherent in creative individuals, and thus is considered hard to …   Wikipedia

  • ingenuity — /in jeuh nooh i tee, nyooh /, n., pl. ingenuities for 3. 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.… …   Universalium

  • ingenuity — [[t]ɪ̱nʤənju͟ːɪti, AM nu͟ː [/t]] N UNCOUNT Ingenuity is skill at working out how to achieve things or skill at inventing new things. Inspecting the nest can be difficult and may require some ingenuity …   English dictionary

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