ingenious

 
Pronunciation: /ɪnˈdʒiːnɪəs/

adjective

  • (of a person) clever, original, and inventive: he was ingenious enough to overcome the limited budget
  • (of a machine or idea) cleverly and originally devised and well suited to its purpose: ingenious devices his theory, while ingenious, is most assuredly incorrect

Derivatives

ingeniously

adverb

ingeniousness

noun

Origin:

late Middle English: from French ingénieux or Latin ingeniosus, from ingenium 'mind, intellect'; compare with engine

Do not confuse ingenious with ingenuous. Ingenious means 'clever, original, and inventive' ( an ingenious idea), whereas ingenuous means 'innocent and unsuspecting' ( wide, ingenuous eyes).