Meanings
noungenius loci (plural genii loci or genii locorum)
plural genii loci · plural genii locorum
- Romanhuman sciencesThe minor deity or spirit watching over a particular place.
- figurativelyThe spirit or atmosphere of a place, especially conceived as a source of artistic inspiration.
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
- Latingenius loci“tutelary deity of a/the place”
- Englishgenius loci
Learned borrowing from Latin genius loci (“tutelary deity of a/the place”), from the singular genitive form of locus (“place”).
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 場所精神 /场所精神, 场所精神
- 場所精神 /场所精神deity or spirit overseeing a place
- 场所精神 (chǎngsuǒ jīngshén)deity or spirit overseeing a place
Japanese 地霊
- 地霊 (chirei)deity or spirit overseeing a place
Polish duch miejsca, genius loci
- duch miejscadeity or spirit overseeing a place
- genius locideity or spirit overseeing a place
Cite this entry
APA
genius loci. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/genius%20loci
MLA
“genius loci.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/genius%20loci. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “genius loci,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/genius%20loci.
Source: genius loci on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.