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genius

American  
[jeen-yuhs] / ˈdʒin yəs /

noun

plural

geniuses, genii

  1. an exceptional natural capacity of intellect, especially as shown in creative and original work in science, art, music, etc..

    the genius of Mozart.
    Synonyms:
    wit, ingenuity, intelligence

  2. a person having such capacity.

  3. a person having an extraordinarily high intelligence rating on a psychological test, as an IQ above 140.

    Synonyms:
    brainiac, brain, whiz, expert, master
    Antonyms:
    dope, half-wit, imbecile, idiot, ninny, nitwit, blockhead, numbskull, dolt, dullard, dunce, simpleton, fool, moron

  4. natural ability or capacity; strong inclination.

    a special genius for leadership.
    Synonyms:
    flair, bent, knack, penchant, predilection, endowment, faculty, aptitude, talent, gift, wizardry

  5. distinctive character or spirit, as of a nation, period, or language.

  6. the guardian spirit of a place, institution, etc.

  7. either of two mutually opposed spirits, one good and the other evil, supposed to attend a person throughout life.

  8. a person who strongly influences for good or ill the character, conduct, or destiny of a person, place, or thing.

    Rasputin, the evil genius of Russian politics.

  9. Islamic Mythology. jinn; genie.

  10. genie.

genius British  
/ ˈdʒiːnɪəs, -njəs /

noun

  1. a person with exceptional ability, esp of a highly original kind

  2. such ability or capacity

    Mozart's musical genius

  3. the distinctive spirit or creative nature of a nation, era, language, etc

  4. a person considered as exerting great influence of a certain sort

    an evil genius

  5. Roman myth

    1. the guiding spirit who attends a person from birth to death

    2. the guardian spirit of a place, group of people, or institution

  6. Arabian myth (usually plural) a demon; jinn

"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

Usage

Plural word for genius The plural form of genius can be either geniuses or genii, pronounced [ jee-nee-ahy ], depending on the intended meaning of the word. Geniuses is much more commonly used. The plural forms of several other singular words that end in -us are also formed in this way, such as virus/viruses, callus/calluses, and status/statuses. Irregular plurals that are formed like genii, such as radius/radii or cactus/cacti, derive directly from their original pluralization in Latin. However, the standard English plural -es is often also acceptable for these terms, as in radiuses and cactuses.

Etymology

Origin of genius

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin: “tutelary deity or genius of a person”; genus

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.