a. 1. Not noble; unbecoming true honor or dignity; mean; unworthy; as, disingenuous conduct or schemes. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Not ingenuous; wanting in noble candor or frankness; not frank or open; uncandid; unworthily or meanly artful. [ 1913 Webster ]

So disingenuous as not to confess them [ faults ]. Pope.

-- Dis`in*gen"u*ous*ly, adv. T. Warton. -- Dis`in*gen"u*ous*ness, n. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. ingenuus inborn, innate, freeborn, noble, frank; pref. in- in + the root of gignere to beget. See Genius, and cf. Ingenious. ] 1. Of honorable extraction; freeborn; noble; as, ingenuous blood of birth. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Noble; generous; magnanimous; honorable; upright; high-minded; as, an ingenuous ardor or zeal. [ 1913 Webster ]

If an ingenuous detestation of falsehood be but carefully and early instilled, that is the true and genuine method to obviate dishonesty. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Free from reserve, disguise, equivocation, or dissimulation; open; frank; as, an ingenuous man; an ingenuous declaration, confession, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

Sensible in myself . . . what a burden it is for me, who would be ingenuous, to be loaded with courtesies which he hath not the least hope to requite or deserve. Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Ingenious. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ (Formerly) printers did not discriminate between . . . ingenuous and ingenious, and these words were used or rather printed interchangeably almost to the beginning of the eighteenth century. G. P. Marsh.

Syn. -- Open; frank; unreserved; artless; plain; sincere; candid; fair; noble; generous. -- Ingenuous, Open, Frank. One who is open speaks out at once what is uppermost in his mind; one who is frank does it from a natural boldness, or dislike of self-restraint; one who is ingenuous is actuated by a native simplicity and artlessness, which make him willing to confess faults, and make known his sentiments without reserve. See Candid. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In an ingenuous manner; openly; fairly; candidly; artlessly. [ 1913 Webster ]

Being required to explain himself, he ingenuously confessed. Ludlow. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The state or quality of being ingenuous; openness of heart; frankness. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Ingenuity. [ Obs. ] Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

See high.
See honorable.
See hopeful.
See hostile.
See hurt.
See hhurtful.
See hygienic.
See ideal.
See idle.
See illusory.
See imaginable.
See imaginative.
See immortal.
See implicit.
See important.
See impressible. See >Unimpressible.
See impressionable.
See improvable.
See impugnable.
See incidental.
See increasable.
See indifferent.
See indulgent.
See industrious.
See inflammable.
See influential.
See ingenious.
See ingenuous.
See inhabitable.
See injurious.
See inquisitive.
See instructive.
See intelligent.
See intelligible.
See intentional.
See interesting.
See interpretable.
See inventive.
See investigable.
See jealous.
See joyful.
See joyous.
See justifiable.
See kingly.
See knightly.
See knotty.
See knowable.
See laborious.
See ladylike.
See level.
See libidinous.
See lightsome.
See limber.
See lineal.
See logical.
See lordly.
See losable.
See lovable.
See lucent.
See luminous.
See lustrous.
See lusty.
See maidenly.
See makable.
See malleable.
See manageable.
See manful.
See manlike.
See manly.
See marketable.
See marriable.
See marriageable.
See marvelous.
See masculine.
See matchable.
See matronlike.
See meek.
See meet.
See melodious.
See mendable.
See mentionable.
See mercenary.
See merciable.
See meritable.
See merry.
See metaphorical.
See mighty.
See mild.
See military.
See mindful.
See mingleable.
See miraculous.
See miry.
See mitigable.
See modifiable.
See modish.
See moist.
See monkish.
See motherly.
See muscular.
See musical.
See mysterious.
See namable.
See native.
See navigable.
See needful.
See negotiable.
See niggard.
See noble.
See objectionable.
[ 1913 Webster ]

[ 1913 Webster ]