In this installment of Word Knots we’ll focus on another two words that are often confused. One of these is related to a word in #37.

Once again our source for this is installment is The Dictionary of Disagreeable English by Robert Hartwell Fiske (Chicago: Writer’s Digest Books). It’s a great book: Check it out.

From Fiske (excerpted):

ingenious

Misused for ingenuous.

As Fiske writes (excerpted):

Ingenious means brilliant or clever; ingenuous, naïve or artless.

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Here are the most relevant Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary definitions (excerpted):

ingenious

adjective

1 : having or showing an unusual aptitude for discovering, inventing, or contriving

2 : marked by originality, resourcefulness, and cleverness in conception or execution

ingenuous

adjective

1 a : showing innocent or childlike simplicity and candidness

   b : lacking craft or subtlety

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The definition of ingenious is pretty clear. But the definition of ingenuous is a bit muddy. In #37 I indicated that childlike could be regarded as a positive. But definition 1b (“lacking craft”) puts somewhat of a negative spin on it.

Let’s look at an example of each.

The art teacher noted the ingenuous outlook of the new class of students.

Their work demonstrated ingenious use of the tools that were available.

Once again,  word choice is critical, which is why checking your work is an important step toward ensuring that your intended meaning is clear.

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