innovation
noun
Did you know?
What is the difference between innovation and invention?
The words innovation and invention overlap semantically but are really quite distinct.
Invention can refer to a type of musical composition, a falsehood, a discovery, or any product of the imagination. The sense of invention most likely to be confused with innovation is “a device, contrivance, or process originated after study and experiment,” usually something which has not previously been in existence.
Innovation, for its part, can refer to something new or to a change made to an existing product, idea, or field. One might say that the first telephone was an invention, the first cellular telephone either an invention or an innovation, and the first smartphone an innovation.
Examples of innovation in a Sentence
Michele Chabin, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025
Our whole product range will benefit from the innovations brought by the Neue Klasse—whichever drive system technology is employed.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 5 Sep. 2025
This innovation, combined with advanced engineering and regional cooperation, sets a new standard for responsible offshore wind development worldwide, according to a press release.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2025
As widely documented, American universities serve as the strongest engines for research, innovation, and economic growth.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for innovation
Cite this Entry
“Innovation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/innovation. Accessed 6 Sep. 2025.
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innovation
noun
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