ingenuity

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: in=ge=nu=i=ty

CIDE DICTIONARY

ingenuity, n. [L. ingenuitas ingenuousness: cf. F. ingénuité. See Ingenuous.].

•  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."  [1913 Webster]
•  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."  [1913 Webster]
•  Openness of heart; ingenuousness.  [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."

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

OXFORD DICTIONARY

ingenuity, n. skill in devising or contriving; ingeniousness.

Etymology

L ingenuitas ingenuousness (as INGENUOUS): Engl. meaning by confusion of INGENIOUS with INGENUOUS

THESAURUS

ingenuity

ability, acuteness, address, adeptness, adroitness, airmanship, aptness, art, artfulness, artisanship, artistry, bravura, brilliance, canniness, capability, capacity, cleverness, command, competence, control, coordination, craft, craftsmanship, creativeness, creativity, cunning, deftness, dexterity, dexterousness, dextrousness, diplomacy, efficiency, expertise, facility, faculty, fecundity, fertile mind, fertility, finesse, flair, genius, gift, grace, grip, handiness, horsemanship, imagination, imaginativeness, ingeniousness, invention, inventiveness, keenness, knack, know-how, marksmanship, mastership, mastery, originality, practical ability, pregnant imagination, productivity, proficiency, prolificacy, prowess, quickness, readiness, resource, resourcefulness, savoir-faire, savvy, seamanship, sharpness, shrewdness, skill, skillfulness, smartness, style, tact, tactfulness, talent, technical brilliance, technical mastery, technical skill, technique, teeming imagination, timing, virtuosity, wit, wizardry, workmanship

ROGET THESAURUS

ingenuity

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.