ingenuity
in-juh-NOO-ih-tee
/ˌɪndʒəˈnjuːəti/
The quality of being clever, original, and inventive.
Highlights resourceful problem-solving using whatever limited tools or circumstances are available.
The story behind the word. Derived from Latin 'ingenium' (natural capacity or cleverness). Through French mistranslations, 'ingenuity' inherited the meaning of clever genius rather than mere candor.
Word relationships
- inventiveness: Inventiveness focuses on creating new gadgets or concepts, whereas ingenuity includes clever adaptation of existing things.
- unimaginativeness: Unimaginativeness describes a total lack of original thought or clever solutions.
Commonly confused with
- ingenuousness: Ingenuousness means childlike innocence or frankness, while ingenuity means clever inventiveness.
Word family
- ingenious (adjective): Clever, original, and inventive.
- ingeniously (adverb): In an inventive or clever manner.
Collocations
- human ingenuity
- remarkable ingenuity
- display ingenuity
Idioms & expressions
- necessity is the mother of invention
Example sentences
- "It took remarkable engineering ingenuity to land a rover on Mars with a specialized sky-crane system." Space exploration
- "With pure ingenuity, the trapped hiker fashioned a makeshift splint out of tree branches and duct tape." Survival story
Memory hook
An INGENIOUS GENIUS displays remarkable INGENUITY. Innate clever genius in action.
When not to use
Do not confuse with 'ingenuousness' (naivety or innocence).
Fun facts
- NASA named its experimental Mars helicopter 'Ingenuity' in 2021.
Explore more words
resourceful, ingenious, artifice, insightful, adaptability, devise
Also appears in
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