inventive

adjective

in·​ven·​tive in-ˈven-tiv 

1

: adept or prolific at producing inventions : creative

an inventive mind

2

: characterized by invention

an inventive method

inventively adverb

inventiveness noun

Synonyms of inventive

• innovative
• imaginative
• creative
• clever

Examples of inventive in a Sentence

They have given their new company an inventive name.

inventive ways to use leftovers

Recent Examples on the Web

But back then, there were just no guardrails, so these guys could be wildly inventive. —Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 11 June 2026

And so the show is just so thoughtful and finds all these really inventive ways of exploring that idea. —Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026

Combinations are inventive with one dish pairing langoustine with cacao and lion’s mane mushroom and another bringing together lamb with cockles. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 June 2026

In this inventive, boundary-pushing follow-up to Detransition, Baby, one novella and three stories take on gender, transness and lives on the margins in all of their gorgeously complicated glory. —Caroline Killilea, PEOPLE, 10 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for inventive

• agentive
• attentive
• incentive
• preventive
• retentive
• disincentive
• inattentive

Kids Definition

inventive

adjective

in·​ven·​tive in-ˈvent-iv 

: gifted with the skill and imagination to invent

inventively adverb

inventiveness noun