genius

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: gen=ius

CIDE DICTIONARY

genius, n. [L. genius, prop., the superior or divine nature which is innate in everything, the spirit, the tutelar deity or genius of a person or place, taste, talent, genius, from genere, gignere, to beget, bring forth. See Gender, and cf. Engine.].

•  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.  [1913 Webster]

  "The unseen genius of the wood."  [1913 Webster]

  "We talk of genius still, but with thought how changed! The genius of Augustus was a tutelary demon, to be sworn by and to receive offerings on an altar as a deity."  [1913 Webster]
•  The peculiar structure of mind with which 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.  [1913 Webster]
•  Peculiar character; animating spirit, as of a nation, a religion, a language.  [1913 Webster]
•  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.  [1913 Webster]

  "Genius of the highest kind implies an unusual intensity of the modifying power."  [1913 Webster]
•  A man endowed with uncommon vigor of mind; a man of superior intellectual faculties and creativity; as, Shakespeare was a rare genius.

∥Genius loci ( [L.], the genius or presiding divinity of a place; hence, the pervading spirit of a place or institution, as of a college, etc.

Syn. -- Genius, Talent.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

genius, n. (pl. geniuses or genii)
1 (pl. geniuses) a an exceptional intellectual or creative power or other natural ability or tendency. b a person having this.
2 the tutelary spirit of a person, place, institution, etc.
3 a person or spirit regarded as powerfully influencing a person for good or evil.
4 the prevalent feeling or associations etc. of a nation, age, etc.

Etymology

L (in sense 2) f. the root of gignere beget

THESAURUS

genius

A per se, Baba Yaga, Calliope, Clio, Erato, Euterpe, Geist, Lilith, Melpomene, Muse, Polyhymnia, Terpsichore, Thalia, ability, ableness, academician, ace, acuity, acuteness, adept, adequacy, adroitness, afflatus, afreet, ancestral spirits, angel, animating spirit, animation, animus, aptitude, aptness, artistic imagination, astuteness, attendant godling, atua, barghest, bent, body-build, bookman, boss, brain, braininess, brains, brand, brightness, brilliance, bump, cacodemon, caliber, capability, capableness, capacity, cast, champion, character, characteristic, characteristics, chief, child prodigy, classicist, clear thinking, clerk, cleverness, colossus of knowledge, commander, competence, complexion, composition, conception, constituents, constitution, control, crackerjack, crasis, creative imagination, creative power, creative thought, creativity, daemon, daeva, daimonion, dean, demon, devil, dexterity, dharma, diathesis, disposition, divine afflatus, dower, dowry, dybbuk, efficacy, efficiency, endowment, enlivenment, equipment, esemplastic imagination, esemplastic power, esprit, ethos, evil genius, evil spirit, evil spirits, exhilaration, expert, facility, faculty, fairy godmother, familiar, familiar spirit, fiber, fiend, fiend from hell, fire, fire of genius, firing, first-rater, fitness, flair, forte, frame, fugleman, genie, genius domus, genius loci, ghoul, giant of learning, gift, gifted child, gifted person, giftedness, gifts, good angel, good genius, good hand, grain, grasp, great, guardian, guardian angel, guardian spirit, guide, gyre, habit, head, hellion, higher-up, household gods, hue, humanist, humor, humors, ilk, incubus, infection, infusion, ingenuity, inspiration, instinct, intellect, intellectual genius, intellectual prodigy, intelligence, inventiveness, invisible helper, jinni, jinniyeh, keen-wittedness, keenness, kind, knack, lamia, lares and penates, lares compitales, lares familiaris, lares permarini, lares praestites, lares viales, laureate, leader, leading light, learned clerk, learned man, literary man, litterateur, long suit, lover of learning, luminary, maestro, magician, mahatma, makeup, makings, man of genius, man of learning, man of letters, man of parts, manes, master, master hand, mastermind, mental alertness, mental genius, mental giant, mercurial mind, metier, mine of information, ministering angel, mold, moving spirit, muse, mythicization, mythification, mythopoeia, native cleverness, natural, natural endowment, natural gift, nature, nimble mind, nimble-wittedness, nimbleness, nonpareil, nous, numen, originality, paragon, parts, past master, penates, philologist, philologue, philomath, philosophe, philosopher, physique, poetic imagination, polyhistor, polymath, potential, power, powers, practiced hand, principal, prodigy, proficiency, property, pundit, qualification, quality, quick parts, quick thinking, quick wit, quick-wittedness, quickness, rakshasa, ready wit, ruler, sage, satan, savant, savvy, scholar, scholastic, schoolman, senior, shaping imagination, sharp-wittedness, sharpness, shedu, skilled hand, smartness, smarts, somatotype, sort, soul, special providence, speciality, specter, spirit, sprightly wit, stamp, star, streak, stripe, strong flair, strong point, student, succubus, suchness, sufficiency, superior, superman, supernatural being, superstar, susceptibility, system, talent, talents, temper, temperament, tendency, tenor, the goods, the greatest, the most, the stuff, the undead, tone, top dog, topnotcher, totem, turn, tutelar god, tutelary, type, understanding, vampire, vein, virtuoso, walking encyclopedia, way, what it takes, whiz, wit, wizard, wonder, yogini

ROGET THESAURUS

genius

Skill

N skill, skillfulness, address, dexterity, dexterousness, adroitness, expertness, proficiency, competence, technical competence, craft, callidity, facility, knack, trick, sleight, mastery, mastership, excellence, panurgy, ambidexterity, ambidextrousness, sleight of hand, seamanship, airmanship, marksmanship, horsemanship, rope-dancing, accomplishment, acquirement, attainment, art, science, technicality, technology, practical knowledge, technical knowledge, knowledge of the world, world wisdom, savoir faire, tact, mother wit, discretion, finesse, craftiness, management, self-help, cleverness, talent, ability, ingenuity, capacity, parts, talents, faculty, endowment, forte, turn, gift, genius, intelligence, sharpness, readiness, invention, aptness, aptitude, turn for, capacity for, genius for, felicity, capability, curiosa felicitas, qualification, habilitation, proficient, masterpiece, coup de maitre, chef d'euvre, tour de force, good stroke, skillful, dexterous, adroit, expert, apt, handy, quick, deft, ready, gain, slick, smart, proficient, good at, up to, at home in, master of, a good hand at, au fait, thoroughbred, masterly, crack, accomplished, conversant, experienced, practiced, skilled, hackneyed, up in, well up in, in practice, in proper cue, competent, efficient, qualified, capable, fitted, fit for, up to the mark, trained, initiated, prepared, primed, finished, clever, cute, able, ingenious, felicitous, gifted, talented, endowed, inventive, shrewd, sharp, on the ball, cunning, alive to, up to snuff, not to be caught with chaff, discreet, neat-handed, fine-fingered, nimble-fingered, ambidextrous, sure- footed, cut out for, fitted for, technical, artistic, scientific, daedalian, shipshape, workman- like, business-like, statesman-like, skillfully, well, artistically, with skill, with consummate skill, secundum artem, suo Marte, to the best of one's abilities, ars celare artem, artes honorabit, celui qui veut celui-la peut, c'est une grande habilite que de savoir cacher son, expertus metuit, es bildet ein Talent sich in der Stille sich ein C, heart to conceive, the understanding to direct, or the hand to execute, if you have lemons, make lemonade.

Proficient

N proficient, expert, adept, dab, dabster, crackerjack, connoisseur, master, master hand, prima donna, first fiddle, top gun, chef de cuisine, top sawyer, protagonist, past master, mahatma, picked man, medallist, prizeman, veteran, old stager, old campaigner, old soldier, old file, old hand, man of business, man of the world, nice hand, good hand, clean hand, practiced hand, experienced eye, experienced hand, marksman, good shot, dead shot, crack shot, ropedancer, funambulist, acrobat, cunning man, conjuror, wizard, genius, mastermind, master head, master spirit, cunning blade, sharp blade, sharp fellow, jobber, cracksman, politician, tactician, strategist, pantologist, admirable Crichton, Jack of all trades, prodigy of learning.

Intellect

N intellect, mind, understanding, reason, thinking principle, rationality, cogitative faculties, cognitive faculties, discursive faculties, reasoning faculties, intellectual faculties, faculties, senses, consciousness, observation, percipience, intelligence, intellection, intuition, association of ideas, instinct, conception, judgment, wits, parts, capacity, intellectuality, genius, brains, cognitive powers, intellectual powers, wit, ability, wisdom, Vernunft, Verstand, soul, spirit, ghost, inner man, heart, breast, bosom, penetralia mentis, divina particula aurae, heart's core, the Absolute, psyche, subliminal consciousness, supreme principle, brain, organ of thought, seat of thought, sensorium, sensory, head, headpiece, pate, noddle, noggin, skull, scull, pericranium, cerebrum, cranium, brainpan, sconce, upper story, central processing unit, CPU, arithmetic and logical unit, ALU, metaphysics, psychics, psychology, ideology, mental philosophy, moral philosophy, philosophy of the mind, pneumatology, phrenology, craniology, cranioscopy, ideality, idealism, transcendentalism, spiritualism, immateriality, universal concept, universal conception, metaphysician, psychologist, intellectual, mental, rational, subjective, metaphysical, nooscopic, spiritual, ghostly, psychical, psychological, cerebral, animastic, brainy, hyperphysical, superphysical, subconscious, subliminal, immaterial, endowed with reason, in petto, ens rationis, frons est animi janua, locos y ninos dicen la verdad, mens sola loco non exulat, my mind is my kingdom, stern men with empires in their brains, the mind, the music breathing from her face, thou living ray of intellectual Fire.

Wisdom

N intelligence, wisdom, intelligence, capacity, comprehension, understanding, cuteness, sabe, savvy, intellect, nous, parts, sagacity, mother wit, wit, esprit, gumption, quick parts, grasp of intellect, acuteness, acumen, subtlety, penetration, perspicacy, perspicacity, discernment, due sense of, good judgment, discrimination, cunning, refinement, head, brains, headpiece, upper story, long head, eagle eye, eagle- glance, eye of a lynx, eye of a hawk, wisdom, sapience, sense, good sense, common sense, horse sense, plain sense, rationality, reason, reasonableness, judgment, solidity, depth, profundity, caliber, enlarged views, reach of thought, compass of thought, enlargement of mind, genius, inspiration, geist, fire of genius, heaven-born genius, soul, talent, prudence, vigilance, tact, foresight, sobriety, self-possession, aplomb, ballast, a bright thought, not a bad idea, Solomon-like wisdom, intelligent, quick of apprehension, keen, acute, alive, brainy, awake, bright, quick, sharp, quick witted, keen witted, clear witted, sharp-eyed, sharp sighted, sharp witted, wide- awake, canny, shrewd, astute, clear-headed, farsighted, discerning, perspicacious, penetrating, piercing, argute, quick-witted, nimble-witted, needle-witted, sharp as a needle, sharp as a tack, alive to, clever, arch, pas si bete, acute, wise, sage, sapient, sagacious, reasonable, rational, sound, in one's right mind, sensible, abnormis sapiens, judicious, strong- minded, unprejudiced, unbiased, unbigoted, unprepossessed, undazzled, unperplexed, unwarped judgment, impartial, equitable, fair, cool, cool-headed, long-headed, hardheaded, strong-headed, long- sighted, calculating, thoughtful, reflecting, solid, deep, profound, oracular, heaven-directed, heaven-born, prudent, sober, stand, solid, considerate, politic, wise in one's generation, watchful, provident, in advance of one' age, wise as a serpent, wise as Solomon, wise as Solon, wise, sensible, reasonable, judicious, well- thought-out, well-planned, well-judged, well-advised, prudent, politic, expedient, aut regem aut fatuum nasci oportet, but with the morning cool reflection came, flosculi sententiarum, les affaires font les hommes, mas vale saber que haber, mas vale ser necio que profiadol nemo solus sapit, nosce te, gnothi seauton, nullum magnum ingenium sine mixtura dementiae fuit, sapere aude, victrix fortunae sapientia.

Sage

N sage, wise man, genius, master mind, master spirit of the age, longhead, thinker, intellectual, longhair, authority, oracle, luminary, shining light, esprit fort, magnus Apollo, Solon, Solomon, Nestor, Magi, second Daniel, man of learning, expert, wizard, wiseacre, bigwig, know-it-all, poor man's Einstein, venerable, reverenced, emeritus, barba tenus sapientes.