Definition of 'genius'
Word forms: plural geniuses
1. uncountable noun
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
British English pronunciation
American English pronunciation
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Word Frequency
genius in British English
nounWord forms: plural -uses or for senses 5, 6 genii (ˈdʒiːnɪˌaɪ
)
1.
adjective
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word origin
C16: from Latin, from gignere to beget
Word Frequency
genius in American English
nounWord forms: plural ˈgeniuses
1.
a. [often G-]
b. [often G-]
the guardian spirit of any person, place, etc.
d.
a person considered as having strong influence over another
2.
3.
the personification of a quality
5.
SIMILAR WORDS: ˈtalent
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Word origin
L, guardian spirit, natural ability, genius < base of genere, gignere, to produce: see genusWord Frequency
genius in American English
(ˈdʒinjəs)
nounWord forms: plural for 2, 3, 8 geniuses, for 6, 7, 9 genii (ˈdʒiniˌai)
SYNONYMS 4. gift, talent, aptitude, faculty.1.
an exceptional natural capacity of intellect, especially as shown in creative and original work in science, art, music, etc
the genius of Mozart
2.
a person having such capacity
3.
a person having an extraordinarily high intelligence rating on a psychological test, as an IQ above 140
4.
natural ability or capacity; strong inclination
a special genius for leadership
5.
distinctive character or spirit, as of a nation, period, or language
6.
the guardian spirit of a place, institution, etc
7.
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
10. genie (sense 3)
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Word origin
[1350–1400; ME ‹ L: tutelary deity or genius of a person; cf. genus]Examples of 'genius' in a sentence
genius
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Quotations
Genius is one per cent inspiration and ninety-nine per cent perspirationLife
When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against himThoughts on Various Subjects
The true genius is a mind of large general powers, accidentally determined to some particular directionLives of the English Poets
If I have seen further [than other men] it is by standing upon the shoulders of giantsletter to Robert Hooke
I have nothing to declare but my genius
Genius does what it must,
And Talent does what it canLast Words of a Sensitive Second-rate Poet
And Talent does what it canLast Words of a Sensitive Second-rate Poet
Trends of
genius
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In other languages
genius
British English: genius
/ˈdʒiːnɪəs; -njəs/ NOUN
Genius is very great ability or skill in something.
...his genius for chess.
- American English: genius /dˈʒinyəs/
- Arabic: عَبْقَرِيّ
- Brazilian Portuguese: gênio
- Chinese: 天才
- Croatian: genij
- Czech: génius
- Danish: geni
- Dutch: genie
- European Spanish: genio
- Finnish: nero
- French: génie
- German: Genie
- Greek: μεγαλοφυΐα
- Italian: genio
- Japanese: 天才
- Korean: 천재
- Norwegian: geni
- Polish: geniusz
- European Portuguese: génio
- Romanian: talent
- Russian: гений
- Latin American Spanish: genio
- Swedish: geni
- Thai: ความเป็นอัจฉริยะ, อัจฉริยภาพ
- Turkish: dahi zeki
- Ukrainian: геній
- Vietnamese: thiên tài
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Definition of genius from the Collins English Dictionary
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