Word Meanings - GENIUS - Book Publishers vocabulary database

prop., the superior or divine nature which is innate in everything, the spirit, the tutelar deity or genius of a person or place, taste, talent, genius, from genere, gignere, to beget, bring forth. See 1. A good or evil spirit, or demon, supposed

Additional info about word: GENIUS

prop., the superior or divine nature which is innate in everything, the spirit, the tutelar deity or genius of a person or place, taste, talent, genius, from genere, gignere, to beget, bring forth. See 1. A good or evil spirit, or demon, supposed by the ancients to preside over a man's destiny in life; a tutelary deity; a supernatural being; a spirit, good or bad. Cf. Jinnee. The unseen genius of the wood. Milton. We talk of genius still, but with thought how changed! The genius of Augustus was a tutelary demon, to be sworn by and to receive offerings on an altar as a deity. Tylor. 2. The peculiar structure of mind with whoch each individual is endowed by nature; that disposition or aptitude of mind which is peculiar to each man, and which qualifies him for certain kinds of action or special success in any pursuit; special taste, inclination, or disposition; as, a genius for history, for poetry, or painting. 3. Peculiar character; animating spirit, as of a nation, a religion, a language. 4. Distinguished mental superiority; uncommon intellectual power; especially, superior power of invention or origination of any kind, or of forming new combinations; as, a man of genius. Genius of the highest kind implies an unusual intensity of the modifyng power. Coleridge. 5. A man endowed with uncommon vigor of mind; a man of superior intellectual faculties; as, Shakespeare was a rare genius. Syn. -- Genius, Talent. Genius implies high and peculiar gifts of nature, impelling the mind to certain favorite kinds of mental effort, and producing new combinations of ideas, imagery, etc. Talent supposes general strength of intellect, with a peculiar aptitude for being molded and directed to specific employments and valuable ends and purposes. Genius is connected more or less with the exercise of imagination, and reaches its ends by a kind of intuitive power. Talent depends more on high mental training, and a perfect command of all the faculties, memory, judgment, sagacity, etc. Hence we speak of a genius for poetry, painting. etc., and a talent for business or diplomacy. Among English orators, Lord Chatham was distinguished for his genius; William Pitt for his preëminent talents, and especially his unrivaled talent for debate. Genius loci ( Etym: , the genius or presiding divinity of a place; hence, the pervading spirit of a place or institution, as of a college, etc.

Possible synonyms: (Same meaning words of GENIUS)

• Character
• Symbol
• letter
• nature
• type
• disposition
• genius
• temperament
• cast
• estimation
• repute
• office
• reputation
• part
• capacity
• class
• order
• sort
• stamp
• kind
• quality
• species
• sign
• tone
• mark
• figure
• record
• ideality
• Fancy
• creativeness
• Intellect
• Understanding
• mind
• reason
• instinct
• consciousness
• sense
• brains
• ability
• talent
• Luminary
• Sage
• savant
• celebrity
• light
• Talent
• Genius
• aptitude
• cleverness
• gift
• endowment
• faculty
• parts

Possible antonyms: (opposite words of GENIUS)

• Obliviate
• silentiate
• suppress

Related words: (words related to GENIUS)

• SYMBOLISTIC; SYMBOLISTICAL
  Characterized by the use of symbols; as, symbolistic poetry.
• CLASSIFIC
  Characterizing a class or classes; relating to classification.
• CHARACTERISTIC
  Pertaining to, or serving to constitute, the character; showing the character, or distinctive qualities or traits, of a person or thing; peculiar; distinctive. Characteristic clearness of temper. Macaulay.
• CLASSIFICATORY
  Pertaining to classification; admitting of classification. "A classificatory system." Earle.
• LIGHT
  licht, OHG. lioht, Goth. liuhap, Icel. lj, L. lux light, lucere to 1. That agent, force, or action in nature by the operation of which upon the organs of sight, objects are rendered visible or luminous. Note: Light was regarded formerly
• SENSE
  A faculty, possessed by animals, of perceiving external objects by means of impressions made upon certain organs (sensory or sense organs) of the body, or of perceiving changes in the condition of the body; as, the senses of sight, smell, hearing,
• CLASSICISM
  A classic idiom or expression; a classicalism. C. Kingsley.
• CHARACTER
  1. A distinctive mark; a letter, figure, or symbol. It were much to be wished that there were throughout the world but one sort of character for each letter to express it to the eye. Holder. 2. Style of writing or printing; handwriting;
• INSTINCTION
  Instinct; incitement; inspiration. Sir T. Elyot.
• TALENT
  tolerare, tollere, to lift up, sustain, endure. See Thole, v. t., 1. Among the ancient Greeks, a weight and a denomination of money equal to 60 minæ or 6,000 drachmæ. The Attic talent, as a weight, was about 57 lbs. avoirdupois; as a denomination
• CLASSIS
  An ecclesiastical body or judicat (more info) 1. A class or order; sort; kind. His opinion of that classis of men. Clarendon.
• REASONING
  1. The act or process of adducing a reason or reasons; manner of presenting one's reasons. 2. That which is offered in argument; proofs or reasons when arranged and developed; course of argument. His reasoning was sufficiently profound. Macaulay.
• ABILITY
  The quality or state of being able; power to perform, whether physical, moral, intellectual, conventional, or legal; capacity; skill or competence in doing; sufficiency of strength, skill, resources, etc.; -- in the plural, faculty, talent. Then
• OFFICEHOLDER
  An officer, particularly one in the civil service; a placeman.
• INSTINCT
  Urged or sas, birds instinct with life. The chariot of paternal deity . . . Itself instinct with spirit, but convoyed By four cherubic shapes. Milton. A noble performance, instinct with sound principle. Brougham. (more info) instigate, incite;
• SUPPRESSOR
  One who suppresses.
• LIGHTSOME
  1. Having light; lighted; not dark or gloomy; bright. White walls make rooms more lightsome than black. Bacon. 2. Gay; airy; cheering; exhilarating. That lightsome affection of joy. Hooker. -- Light"some*ly, adv. -- Light"some*ness, n. Happiness
• SYMBOLISM
  The science of creeds; symbolics. (more info) 1. The act of symbolizing, or the state of being symbolized; as, symbolism in Christian art is the representation of truth, virtues, vices, etc., by emblematic colors, signs, and forms. 2. A system
• LIGHTNESS
  The state, condition, or quality, of being light or not heavy; buoyancy; levity; fickleness; delicacy; grace. Syn. -- Levity; volatility; instability; inconstancy; unsteadiness; giddiness; flightiness; airiness; gayety; liveliness; agility;
• REASONLESS
  1. Destitute of reason; as, a reasonless man or mind. Shak. 2. Void of reason; not warranted or supported by reason; unreasonable. This proffer is absurd and reasonless. Shak.
• ADORABILITY
  Adorableness.
• ENSTAMP
  To stamp; to mark as It is the motive . . . which enstamps the character. Gogan.
• AMENABILITY
  The quality of being amenable; amenableness. Coleridge.
• SUITABILITY
  The quality or state of being suitable; suitableness.
• INTRACTABILITY
  The quality of being intractable; intractableness. Bp. Hurd.
• EQUABILITY
  The quality or condition of being equable; evenness or uniformity; as, equability of temperature; the equability of the mind. For the celestial bodies, the equability and constancy of their motions argue them ordained by wisdom. Ray.
• SLIGHTNESS
  The quality or state of being slight; slenderness; feebleness; superficiality; also, formerly, negligence; indifference; disregard.
• DEFLAGRABILITY
  The state or quality of being deflagrable. The ready deflagrability . . . of saltpeter. Boyle.
• COMMENSURABILITY
  The quality of being commersurable. Sir T. Browne.
• INSENSE
  To make to understand; to instruct. Halliwell.
• POST OFFICE
  See POST
• IMMEABILITY
  Want of power to pass, or to permit passage; impassableness. Immeability of the juices. Arbuthnot.
• DELIGHTING
  Giving delight; gladdening. -- De*light"ing*ly, adv. Jer. Taylor.