MacGyverism

M3A1C3G2Y4V4E1R1I1S1M3

noun

An ingeniously improvised solution to a problem.

Scrabble 24
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

nounMacGyverism (countable and uncountable, plural MacGyverisms)

plural MacGyverisms

  1. countableuncountableAn ingeniously improvised solution to a problem.

    Anyone can learn real-life MacGyverisms using everyday items — you just have to be a little sneaky.

    2005, Mark Frauenfelder, Make: Technology on Your Time, volume 4, page 152
    2 more examples

    She wanted the quick fix — the most economical choice — the MacGyverism. But that's not what she needed. She needed a complete makeover.

    2008, Joshua Via, The Discovery: Beyond the Jesus of Flapjacks and Grilled Cheese, page 45

    She had to figure out how to change the lock on the door downstairs—the gum had been a stopgap measure to keep Ira from coming in, classic Institute Macgyverism.

    2012, Jeanne Thornton, The Dream of Dr. Bantam, page 254

Origin

From MacGyver + -ism, after the US television show MacGyver (1985–1992) in which the eponymous secret agent resolves crises through practical application of scientific knowledge and inventive use of common items.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

MacGyverism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/MacGyverism

MLA

“MacGyverism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/MacGyverism. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “MacGyverism,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/MacGyverism.

Source: MacGyverism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.