genius

[jeen-yuh s] /ˈdʒin yəs/
noun, plural geniuses for 2, 3, 8, genii
[jee-nee-ahy] /ˈdʒi niˌaɪ/ (Show IPA), for 6, 7, 9, 10.
1.
an exceptional natural capacity of intellect, especially as shown in creative and original work in science, art, music, etc.:
the genius of Mozart.
Synonyms: intelligence, ingenuity, wit; brains.
2.
a person having such capacity.
3.
a person having an extraordinarily high intelligence rating on a psychological test, as an IQ above 140.
Synonyms: mental giant, master, expert; whiz, brain, brainiac.
Antonyms: idiot, imbecile, half-wit, dope, moron; fool, simpleton, dunce, dullard, dolt; numskull, blockhead, nitwit, ninny.
4.
natural ability or capacity; strong inclination:
a special genius for leadership.
Synonyms: gift, talent, aptitude, faculty, endowment, predilection; penchant, knack, bent, flair, wizardry.
5.
distinctive character or spirit, as of a nation, period, or language.
6.
the guardian spirit of a place, institution, etc.
7.
either of two mutually opposed spirits, one good and the other evil, supposed to attend a person throughout life.
8.
a person who strongly influences for good or ill the character, conduct, or destiny of a person, place, or thing:
Rasputin, the evil genius of Russian politics.
9.
Islamic Mythology, jinn; genie.
10.
genie (def 3).
Origin
1350-1400; Middle English < Latin: tutelary deity or genius of a person; cf. genus
Can be confused
genius, genus.

genius loci

[gen-i-oo s loh-kee; English jee-nee-uh s loh-sahy, -kahy] /ˈgɛn ɪˌʊs ˈloʊ ki; English ˈdʒi ni əs ˈloʊ saɪ, -kaɪ/
Latin.
1.
guardian of a place.
2.
the distinctive character or atmosphere of a place with reference to the impression that it makes on the mind.
Examples from the web for genius
  • More's genius is of that high order in which the intellectual and moral powers seem to interpenetrate and vitalise each other.
  • Psychologists are divided over whether genius is innate or acquired.
  • Using a class action to obtain that consent—en masse—was a stroke of genius by the settlement's architects.
  • She meant that geniuses, or those touched with a spark of it, had very little choice in life.
  • The parmesan crust is pure genius.
  • What Rimbaud lacked in social skills, however, he made up for in sheer outrageous genius.
  • He suffers from sensory overload at a black tie affair when thunderstruck by the genius of Velazquez's paintings.
  • One German genius has engineered a faster, smarter board game.
  • Perhaps the most crucial factor is scientific genius.
  • There was no mad genius behind my selling this book or having this book become a global phenomenon.
British Dictionary definitions for genius

genius

/ˈdʒiːnɪəs; -njəs/
noun (pl) -uses, (for senses 5, 6) genii (ˈdʒiːnɪˌaɪ)
1.
a person with exceptional ability, esp of a highly original kind
2.
such ability or capacity: Mozart's musical genius
3.
the distinctive spirit or creative nature of a nation, era, language, etc
4.
a person considered as exerting great influence of a certain sort: an evil genius
5.
(Roman myth)
  1. the guiding spirit who attends a person from birth to death
  2. the guardian spirit of a place, group of people, or institution
6.
(Arabian myth) (usually pl) a demon; jinn
Word Origin
C16: from Latin, from gignere to beget

genius loci

/ˈdʒiːnɪəs ˈləʊsaɪ/
noun
1.
the guardian spirit of a place
2.
the special atmosphere of a particular place
Word Origin
genius of the place
Word Origin and History for genius
n.

late 14c., "tutelary god (classical or pagan)," from Latin genius "guardian deity or spirit which watches over each person from birth; spirit, incarnation, wit, talent;" also "prophetic skill," originally "generative power," from root of gignere "beget, produce" (see kin), from PIE root *gen- "produce." Sense of "characteristic disposition" is from 1580s. Meaning "person of natural intelligence or talent" and that of "natural ability" are first recorded 1640s.