See Also: ingenious(dictionary)
ingenious(dictionary)

ingenious (iou)



ingenious adjective. LME.
[(French ingenieux from) Latin ingeniosus, from INGENIUM: see -OUS.]
I.
Orig., possessing high mental ability, talented, intelligent, discerning. Now spec. clever at making, inventing, or contriving things, esp. of a curious or unexpected nature. LME.
T. Brown Wine..makes the dull ingenious. T. Gent Travels of Cyrus..worthy the Perusal of every ingenious Person. J. Barzun To be ingenious about devising activities is the mark of the 'imaginative' teacher.
Exemplifying high mental ability, showing intelligence. Now spec. cleverly contrived or made. L15.
T. Hearne 'Twas a good ingenious Sermon, about Praise. H. Jacobson He was a great advocate for electricity and ingenious electrical gadgets.
II. Used by confusion for INGENUOUS or Latin ingenuus.
Having a noble disposition; spec. honourably candid or straightforward. L16-L18.
Well-born. Of education etc.: befitting a well-born person. L16-L18.
ingeniously adverb LME.
ingeniousness noun M16.