ingenuity

noun

in·​ge·​nu·​i·​ty ˌin-jə-ˈnü-ə-tē 

-ˈnyü-

plural ingenuities

1

a

: skill or cleverness in devising or combining : inventiveness

b

: cleverness or aptness of design or contrivance

2

: an ingenious device or contrivance

3

obsolete : candor, ingenuousness

Synonyms

• cleverness
• creativeness
• creativity
• imagination
• imaginativeness
• ingeniousness
• innovativeness
• invention
• inventiveness
• originality

Examples of ingenuity in a Sentence

She showed amazing ingenuity in finding ways to cut costs.

It will take considerable ingenuity to fix these problems.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring watch on max *The Martian Year: 2015 Runtime: 2h 22m Director: Ridley Scott One of the best late films from an all-time master, this sci-fi gem sees Matt Damon playing an astronaut who gets stranded on Mars, and has to use his ingenuity to get home. —Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 3 Jan. 2025

Balancing human ingenuity with AI capabilities will be a defining factor of successful leadership in 2025. 2. —Adrian Gostick, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024

While that day might be years away, the progress made by the CUE project serves as an inspiring example of what’s possible when human ingenuity and cutting-edge technology converge. —Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, Fox News, 27 Dec. 2024

The unit was put in segregated housing in the former King Edwards Boys School, and the women used their ingenuity to create their own amenities like a food hall and hair salon. —Emily Krauser, People.com, 22 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1592, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Kids Definition

ingenuity

noun

in·​ge·​nu·​ity

ˌin-jə-ˈn(y)ü-ət-ē

plural ingenuities

1

: skill or cleverness in discovering, inventing, or planning

2

: an ingenious device