Ingenuity
/ˌɪn.dʒəˈnjuː.ə.ti/noun
The quality of being clever, inventive, and resourceful.
Did you know?Ingenuity ultimately comes from Latin *ingenuus*, meaning “inborn” or “freeborn,” so the word’s original power was tied to birth status before it became a compliment for creativity.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ǵenh₁-
“to beget, give birth, produce”
Latin
Latin
ingenuus
“inborn, native, freeborn”
Latin
Latin
ingeniōsus
“gifted by nature, clever, ingenious”
Old French
Old French
ingéniosité
“cleverness, ingenuity”
16th Century
English
ingenuity
“natural talent, cleverness, inventiveness”
Modern English
English
ingenuity
“inventive resourcefulness”