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Ingenuity   /ɪndʒənˈuəti/   Listen
noun
Ingenuity  n.  
1.
The quality or power of ready invention; quickness or acuteness in forming new combinations; ingeniousness; skill in devising or combining. "All the means which human ingenuity has contrived."
2.
Curiousness, or cleverness in design or contrivance; as, the ingenuity of a plan, or of mechanism. "He gives... To artist ingenuity and skill."
3.
Openness of heart; ingenuousness. (Obs.) "The stings and remorses of natural ingenuity, a principle that men scarcely ever shake off, as long as they carry anything of human nature about them."
Synonyms: Inventiveness; ingeniousness; skill; cunning; cleverness; genius. Ingenuity, Cleverness. Ingenuity is a form of genius, and cleverness of talent. The former implies invention, the letter a peculiar dexterity and readiness of execution. Sir James Mackintosh remarks that the English overdo in the use of the word clever and cleverness, applying them loosely to almost every form of intellectual ability.






Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48








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"Ingenuity" Quotes from Famous Books



... at least indispensable to human nature; and the inside of this, once you open it, is a chest-of-drawers, containing paper, ink, new literature and much else. No end to Munchow'a good-will, and his ingenuity is great. [Preuss, ...
— History of Friedrich II of Prussia V 7 • Thomas Carlyle

... possible complications. It has become necessary that we should clearly understand one another—at least that you, my dear mother, should understand my position fully and finally. We have been too nice, you and I, heretofore, and, the truth being very far from nice, have expended much trouble and ingenuity in our efforts to ignore it. We went up to London in the fond hope that the world at large would support us in our self-deception. So it did, for a time. But, being in the main composed of very fairly honest and sensible persons, ...
— The History of Sir Richard Calmady - A Romance • Lucas Malet

... released Antonio, and dismissed the court. He then highly praised the wisdom and ingenuity of the young counsellor, and invited him home to dinner. Portia, who meant to return to Belmont before her husband, replied: 'I humbly thank your grace, but I must away directly.' The duke said he was sorry he had not leisure to stay and dine with him; and turning to Antonio, he added: 'Reward ...
— Tales from Shakespeare • Charles and Mary Lamb

... interest rightly understood had nothing but the present world in view, it would be very insufficient; for there are many sacrifices which can only find their recompense in another; and whatever ingenuity may be put forth to demonstrate the utility of virtue, it will never be an easy task to make that man live aright who has no thoughts of dying. It is therefore necessary to ascertain whether the principle of interest rightly ...
— Democracy In America, Volume 2 (of 2) • Alexis de Tocqueville

... put a man, or men, ashore, preferably on a desert island, leaving him, or them, to fend for himself, or themselves, as best he, or they, can! It may mean slow starvation—at best it means living on what you can pick up by your own ingenuity, on shell-fish and that sort of thing, even on edible sea-weed. Marooned? Yes! that was the only experience I ever had of that—it's all very well talking of it now, as we sit here on a comfortable little vessel, with a bottle ...
— Ravensdene Court • J. S. (Joseph Smith) Fletcher


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