Search results
Ingenious describes people who are unusually inventive or clever, and things that are made or done in an especially original or clever way. Ingenuous describes people and things that show innocent or childlike simplicity and candidness.
Exploring the Meaning of ‘Ingenious’ Origin and Etymology; Examples of Ingenious in Use; Ingenious in Contemporary Context; Understanding ‘Ingenuous’ Etymological Background; Ingenuous in Literature and Media; Common Misconception with ‘Genuine’ Comparative Analysis: Ingenious vs. Ingenuous. Key Differences; Examples of Juxtaposition
Someone ingenuous (also an adjective) is innocent, simple, candid, sincere, naive—sometimes to the point of lacking cunning or sophistication. The noun form of ingenuous is ingenuousness, and its antonym is disingenuous. ingenuous child who couldn’t conceive of lying. seemed ingenuous, but was actually sly. the child’s disarming ingenuousness.
Ingenuous and ingenuity are both correct words, but they have distinct definitions. Ingenuous refers to someone who is innocent, naive, or sincere. On the other hand, ingenuity is the quality of being clever, original, and inventive.
The suffix -ous is a fairly common one, so it may just be a mistake made by people unfamiliar with the correct spelling of the term. The term ingenious may also be responsible for the mistake.
Ingenious means marked by great cleverness or imagination. Ingenious is easy to remember because of its similarity to genius in sound and meaning. But despite their similarities, ingenious and genius have different sources, and ingenuity (ingenious ‘s corresponding noun) is not necessarily marked by genius.
People also ask
Is being ingenious a mistake?
Is ingenious a word?
What is the difference between ingenious and genius?
Is ingenuous a typo?
Dec 16, 2010 · On the surface, one might think that ingenious is somehow based on the word genius. Interestingly, this is not true. The word ingenious does not actually have the in- prefix for negation. Instead, it comes originally from the Latin ingeniōsus, which means "intellectual, talented, ingenious".
