1. (n.) A good or evil spirit, or demon, supposed by the ancients to preside over a man's destiny in life; a tutelary deity; a supernatural being; a spirit, good or bad. Cf. Jinnee.

2. (n.) The peculiar structure of mind with which each individual is endowed by nature; that disposition or aptitude of mind which is peculiar to each man, and which qualifies him for certain kinds of action or special success in any pursuit; special taste, inclination, or disposition; as, a genius for history, for poetry, or painting.

3. (n.) Peculiar character; animating spirit, as of a nation, a religion, a language.

4. (n.) Distinguished mental superiority; uncommon intellectual power; especially, superior power of invention or origination of any kind, or of forming new combinations; as, a man of genius.

5. (n.) A man endowed with uncommon vigor of mind; a man of superior intellectual faculties; as, Shakespeare was a rare genius.

A per se Baba Yaga Calliope Clio Erato Euterpe Geist Lilith Melpomene Muse Polyhymnia Terpsichore Thalia ability ableness academician ace acuity acuteness adept adequacy adroitness afflatus afreet ancestral spirits angel animating spirit animation animus aptitude aptness artistic imagination astuteness attendant godling atua barghest bent body-build bookman boss brain braininess brains brand brightness brilliance bump cacodemon caliber capability capableness capacity cast champion character characteristic characteristics chief child prodigy classicist clear thinking clerk cleverness colossus of knowledge commander competence complexion composition conception constituents constitution control crackerjack crasis creative imagination creative power creative thought creativity daemon daeva daimonion dean demon devil dexterity dharma diathesis disposition divine afflatus dower dowry dybbuk efficacy efficiency endowment enlivenment equipment esemplastic imagination esemplastic power esprit ethos evil genius evil spirit evil spirits exhilaration expert facility faculty fairy godmother familiar familiar spirit fiber fiend fiend from hell fire fire of genius firing first-rater fitness flair forte frame fugleman genie genius domus genius loci ghoul giant of learning gift gifted child gifted person giftedness gifts good angel good genius good hand grain grasp great guardian guardian angel guardian spirit guide gyre habit head hellion higher-up household gods hue humanist humor humors ilk incubus infection infusion ingenuity inspiration instinct intellect intellectual genius intellectual prodigy intelligence inventiveness invisible helper jinni jinniyeh keen-wittedness keenness kind knack lamia lares and penates lares compitales lares familiaris lares permarini lares praestites lares viales laureate leader leading light learned clerk learned man literary man litterateur long suit lover of learning luminary maestro magician mahatma makeup makings man of genius man of learning man of letters man of parts manes master master hand mastermind mental alertness mental genius mental giant mercurial mind metier mine of information ministering angel mold moving spirit muse mythicization mythification mythopoeia native cleverness natural natural endowment natural gift nature nimble mind nimble-wittedness nimbleness nonpareil nous numen originality paragon parts past master penates philologist philologue philomath philosophe philosopher physique poetic imagination polyhistor polymath potential power powers practiced hand principal prodigy proficiency property pundit qualification quality quick parts quick thinking quick wit