# genius

/ˈdʒinjəs/ (US) · /dʒˈiːnɪəs/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/genius
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. a brilliant person

noun · CEFR B2

a person who has very great intelligence or a special skill.

For teachers: a person who possesses extraordinary mental capacity or creative power, often demonstrated through original work.

- Albert Einstein is widely considered a genius for his work in physics.
- The young composer was hailed as a musical genius after his first symphony premiered to international acclaim.

### 2. exceptional intelligence

noun · CEFR B2

the great skill or intelligence that a very smart person has.

For teachers: extraordinary mental capacity or a natural talent for a specific activity. Uncountable in this abstract sense.

- Her genius for solving difficult math problems was obvious from a young age.
- The true genius of the design lies in its simplicity and the way it solves complex engineering problems with minimal parts.

### 3. very clever

adjective · CEFR B2 · Informal

very clever or brilliant. You use this to describe a great idea or plan.

For teachers: ingenious or exceptionally clever. Used as an attributive or predicative adjective in informal contexts.

- That was a genius idea to bring an umbrella just in case.
- The marketing team came up with a genius strategy that doubled their sales in less than three months.

### 4. spirit of a place

noun · CEFR C2 · Literary · Formal

the special character or spirit of a place or person.

For teachers: the prevailing spirit or distinctive character of a place, person, or era. Often used in the phrase 'genius loci'.

- The architect tried to capture the genius of the ancient city in his new building.
- The novel successfully evokes the genius of Victorian London, capturing both its industrial energy and its social contradictions.

## Examples

- She is a mathematical genius.
- The marketing team's decision to use a viral video was a stroke of genius that saved the campaign.
- While the public often views genius as a sudden flash of inspiration, most historians argue it is the result of obsessive focus and years of deliberate practice.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.