different between subtile vs ingenious

English

Etymology

From Latin subtilis (“fine, thin, slender, delicate”), perhaps, from sub (“under”) + tela (“a web, fabric”). See tela, toil.

Adjective

subtile (comparative subtiler, superlative subtilest)

1. (obsolete) subtle
   • 1819, Francis Bacon, The Works of Francis Bacon, volume 2, page 2:

     And sometimes this perception, in some kind of bodies, is far more subtile than the sense; so that the sense is but a dull thing in comparison of it: we see a weather-glass will find the least difference of the weather, in heat, or cold, when men find it not.

   • 1889, Henry James, The Solution.

     I burst into mirth at this—I liked him even better when he was subtile than when he was simple.

Derived terms

• subtile body

Further reading

• subtile in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• subtile in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

French

Adjective

subtile

1. feminine singular of subtil

German

Adjective

subtile

1. inflection of subtil:
   1. strong/mixed nominative/accusative feminine singular
   2. strong nominative/accusative plural
   3. weak nominative all-gender singular
   4. weak accusative feminine/neuter singular

Latin

Adjective

subt?le

1. nominative neuter singular of subt?lis
2. accusative neuter singular of subt?lis
3. vocative neuter singular of subt?lis

References

• subtile in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition, 1883–1887)

Middle English

Adjective

subtile

1. Alternative form of sotil

Noun

subtile

1. Alternative form of sotil

Norwegian Bokmål

Adjective

subtile

1. definite singular/plural of subtil

Norwegian Nynorsk

Adjective

subtile

1. definite singular/plural of subtil

Swedish

Adjective

subtile

1. absolute definite natural masculine form of subtil.

English

Alternative forms

• engenious (obsolete)

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French ingénieux, from Old French engenious, from Latin ingeni?sus (“endowed with good natural capacity, gifted with genius”), from ingenium (“innate or natural quality, natural capacity, genius”), from in- (“in”) +? gignere (“to produce”), Old Latin genere. See also engine.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?n?d?i?nj?s/, /?n?d?i?ni?s/
• Rhymes: -i?ni?s
• Hyphenation: in?ge?nious

Adjective

ingenious (comparative more ingenious, superlative most ingenious)

1. (of a person) Displaying genius or brilliance; tending to invent.

2. (of a thing) Characterized by genius; cleverly done or contrived.

3. Witty; original; shrewd; adroit; keen; sagacious.

Usage notes

Do not confuse with ingenuous.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:witty
• See also Thesaurus:intelligent

Related terms

Translations

References

• ingenious in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• ingenious in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.