Ingenuity — In ge*nu i*ty, n. [L. ingenuitas ingenuousness: cf. F. ing[ e]nuit[ e]. See {Ingenuous}.] 1. The quality or power of ready invention; quickness or acuteness in forming new combinations; ingeniousness; skill in devising or combining. [1913… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
ingenuity — 1590s, honor, nobility, from M.Fr. ingénuité and directly from L. ingenuitatem (nom. ingenuitas) condition of a free born man, figuratively generosity, noble mindedness, from ingenuus (see INGENUOUS (Cf. ingenuous)). Etymologically, this word… … Etymology dictionary
ingenuity — [in΄jə no͞o′ə tē, in΄jənyo͞o′ə tē] n. [L ingenuitas < ingenuus (see INGENUOUS): INGENUITY sense 1 infl. by assoc. with INGENIOUS] 1. Obs. the quality of being ingenuous 2. the quality of being ingenious; cleverness, originality, skill, etc. 3 … English World dictionary
ingenuity — index artifice, gift (flair), performance (workmanship), skill, specialty (special aptitude) Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton … Law dictionary
ingenuity — [n] cleverness ability, adroitness, astuteness, brains, brightness, brilliance, creativity, cunning, dexterity, flair, genius, gumption, intelligence, inventiveness, resourcefulness, shrewdness, skill, smartness, talent, wisdom, wit; concept 409 … New thesaurus
ingenuity — ► NOUN ▪ the quality of being ingenious. ORIGIN Latin ingenuitas ingenuousness , from ingenuus inborn ; the current meaning arose by confusion of ingenuous with ingenious … English terms dictionary
ingenuity — noun ADJECTIVE ▪ considerable, great ▪ a little ▪ technical ▪ human ▪ American, Yankee … Collocations dictionary
ingenuity — n. 1) human ingenuity 2) the ingenuity to + inf. (she had the ingenuity to succeed where everyone else had failed) * * * [ˌɪndʒɪ njuːɪtɪ] human ingenuity the ingenuity to + inf. (she had the ingenuity to succeed where everyone else had failed) … Combinatory dictionary
ingenuity — /in jeuh nooh i tee, nyooh /, n., pl. ingenuities for 3. 1. the quality of being cleverly inventive or resourceful; inventiveness: a designer of great ingenuity. 2. cleverness or skillfulness of conception or design: a device of great ingenuity.… … Universalium
ingenuity — [[t]ɪ̱nʤənju͟ːɪti, AM nu͟ː [/t]] N UNCOUNT Ingenuity is skill at working out how to achieve things or skill at inventing new things. Inspecting the nest can be difficult and may require some ingenuity … English dictionary
