Chapter Infrequently to Ingenuity of I by Webster's Dictionary (1913 Edition)

1. Possessed of genius, or the faculty of invention; skillful or promp to invent; having an aptitude to contrive, or to form new combinations; as, an ingenious author, mechanic.

A man . . . very wise and ingenious in feats of war.

Hakluyt.

Thou, king, send out
For torturers ingenious.

Shak.

The more ingenious men are, the more apt are they to trouble themselves.

Sir W. Temple.

2. Proceeding from, pertaining to, or characterized by, genius or ingenuity; of curious design, structure, or mechanism; as, an ingenious model, or machine; an ingenious scheme, contrivance, etc.

Thus men go wrong with an ingenious skill.

Cowper.

3. Witty; shrewd; adroit; keen; sagacious; as, an ingenious reply.

4. Mental; intellectual. [Obs.]

A course of learning and ingenious studies.

Shak.

Ingeniously
(In*gen"ious*ly) adv. In an ingenious manner; with ingenuity; skillfully; wittily; cleverly.

"Too ingeniously politic."

Sir W. Temple.

Ingeniousness
(In*gen"ious*ness), n. The quality or state of being ingenious; ingenuity.

Ingenite
(In*gen"ite, In*gen"it) a. [L. ingenitus, p. p. of ingignere to instill by birth or nature; pref. in- + gignere to beget.] Innate; inborn; inbred; inherent; native; ingenerate. [Obs.]

It is natural or ingenite, which comes by some defect of the organs and overmuch brain.

Burton.

Ingenuity
(In`ge*nu"i*ty) n. [L. ingenuitas ingenuousness: cf. F. ingénuité. See Ingenuous.]

1. The quality or power of ready invention; quickness or acuteness in forming new combinations; ingeniousness; skill in devising or combining.

All the means which human ingenuity has contrived.

Blair.

2. Curiousness, or cleverness in design or contrivance; as, the ingenuity of a plan, or of mechanism.

He gives . . .
To artist ingenuity and skill.

Cowper.

3. Openness of heart; ingenuousness. [Obs.]

The stings and remorses of natural ingenuity, a principle that men scarcely ever shake off, as long as they carry anything of human nature about them.

South.

Syn. — Inventiveness; ingeniousness; skill; cunning; cleverness; genius. — Ingenuity, Cleverness. Ingenuity is a form of genius, and cleverness of talent. The former implies invention, the letter a peculiar dexterity and readiness of execution. Sir James Mackintosh remarks that the English overdo in the use of the word clever and cleverness, applying them loosely to almost every form of intellectual ability.