genius Definition

genius
noun geniuses, genii (plural in sense 5)

1. Someone who has outstanding creative or intellectual ability.
2a. Such ability.

Thesaurus: brilliance, originality, creativity, inventiveness, discernment, intelligence, sagacity, wisdom, intuition, subtlety.
2b. A natural talent for doing something

Thesaurus: propensity, flair, bent, penchant, proclivity, predilection, aptitude, faculty, talent, knack, ability, gift.
3a. A person who exerts a powerful influence on another (whether good or bad).
3b. Roman mythol.
A guardian spirit.
4. formal
A quality or attitude with which something (eg a country or a period of time) is identified or typically associated.
Example: Rational inquiry was the genius of the century

Etymology: 16c: Latin, meaning ‘guardian spirit' or ‘deity'.