genie

American

[jee-nee] / ˈdʒi ni /

noun

Islamic Mythology. jinn.
a spirit, often appearing in human form, that when summoned by a person carries out the wishes of the summoner.
any spirit; demon.

genie ¹ British

/ ˈdʒiːnɪ /

noun

(in fairy tales and stories) a servant who appears by magic and fulfils a person's wishes
another word for jinni

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Genie ² British

/ ˈdʒiːnɪ /

noun

an award given by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television in recognition of Canadian cinematic achievements

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of genie

1645–55; < French génie < Latin genius; genius

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“Oh. I’m sorry,” the genie proclaimed after a short pause.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 23, 2025

The Epstein genie is out of the bottle.

From Salon • Jul. 28, 2025

On Monday, the judge said: "There is nothing the juror can say at this point that can put the genie back in the bottle and repair his credibility."

From BBC • Jun. 16, 2025

“You can’t put the genie back in the bottle now,” Huda Ammori, co-founder of Palestine Action, told Slate.

From Slate • Mar. 24, 2025

Even as the genie endeavored to free itself, Merriweather steadily reduced both their sizes, shrinking as quickly as she’d grown.

From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023