innovation

play

noun in·no·va·tion \ ˌi-nə-ˈvā-shən \

Definition of innovation

1 :the introduction of something new

2 :a new idea, method, or device :novelty

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innovational

play \ˌi-nə-ˈvā-shnəl, -shə-nᵊl\ adjective

See innovation defined for English-language learners

See innovation defined for kids

Examples of innovation in a Sentence

She is responsible for many innovations in her field.
the latest innovation in computer technology
Through technology and innovation, they found ways to get better results with less work.
the rapid pace of technological innovation

Recent Examples of innovation from the Web

But two innovations tested during Hurricane Harvey, one from NASA and another from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), could help level the playing field.

— paul voosen, Science | AAAS, "Hurricane Harvey provides lab for U.S. forecast experiments," 28 Aug. 2017
Albrecht completed his master's degree in technology, leadership and innovation at Purdue this month.

— mike hutton, Post-Tribune, "Hutton: Crown Point graduate Spike Albrecht can't say goodbye to basketball," 26 Aug. 2017
In this city that ironically loves its steak houses as much as its juiceries, Australian Chef Curtis Stone and brother Luke have updated the genre that still too often considers clams casino an innovation.

— Condé Nast Traveler, "Have you been here?," 25 Aug. 2017
Other honorees were: Quality Filters of Robertsdale, for Outstanding Achievement in Innovative Manufacturing. CEO George Spottswood, in accepting the award, said innovation is the key to his business.

— william thornton, AL.com, "Steelworkers local approves new Goodyear contract," 24 Aug. 2017
Single-payer nations have not reduced costs through groundbreaking innovations in health delivery.

— brian riedl, National Review, "America Needs Health-Care Reform, and Single-Payer Will Be No Part of It," 15 Aug. 2017
The Big Five may already be having a stifling effect in Silicon Valley, the heart of America’s innovation economy.

— vanityfair.com, "Is Mark Zuckerberg Killing Silicon Valley?," 10 Aug. 2017
To be clear, this bra doesn't represent some groundbreaking leap forward in lingerie innovation.

— abigail mccoy, Glamour, "This $75 Bra Is the Best Thing to Ever Happen to My Boobs," 4 Aug. 2017
One way things are starting to get complicated is that innovators seem to be more interested in protecting their inventions or innovations rather than transforming the future of mobility, the goal of all of the research and development.

— chuck tannert, Popular Mechanics, "Will the Patent Wars Kill the Self-Driving Car?," 26 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'innovation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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.