1. 1. Extraordinary intellectual and creative power.
   2. A person of extraordinary intellect and talent: "One is not born a genius, one becomes a genius" (Simone de Beauvoir).
   3. A person who has an exceptionally high intelligence quotient, typically above 140.
2. 1. A strong natural talent, aptitude, or inclination: has a genius for choosing the right words.
   2. One who has such a talent or inclination: a genius at diplomacy.
3. The prevailing spirit or distinctive character, as of a place, a person, or an era: the genius of Elizabethan England.
4. pl., ge·ni·i (jē'nē-ī'). Roman Mythology. A tutelary deity or guardian spirit of a person or place.
5. A person who has great influence over another.
6. A jinni in Muslim mythology.

[Middle English, guardian spirit, from Latin.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.