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
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
Passages sparkle lyrical here, spark with friction there, always marked by depth and humanity, inventive and engaging and always illuminating.
—
Steve Hochman, SPIN, 15 Apr. 2024
By opening the crossword’s gates to more types of words and styles of wordplay, these editors reasoned, the form itself would become more capacious, inventive and, well, more fun.
—Adrienne Raphel, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2024
The menus of the onsite dining destinations are inventive and upscale.
—Annie Archer, Travel + Leisure, 12 Apr. 2024
But even those attributes, and Douglas’ interpretation of them, don’t quite prove inventive enough to compensate for its shortcomings.
—Brian Lowry, CNN, 12 Apr. 2024
When other directors take over, the series is much less visually distinctive, much less inventive.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Apr. 2024
Their goal is to share a fun and inventive approach to tackling the tough topic of what’s happening to our coral reefs.
—Christina Mayo, Miami Herald, 10 Apr. 2024
And where did the inventive farmer find the right spring for the innovation?
—Roger Catlin, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Apr. 2024
Be inventive, take the initiative and strive to be the best.
—Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 19 Mar. 2024
Steve Hochman, SPIN, 15 Apr. 2024
By opening the crossword’s gates to more types of words and styles of wordplay, these editors reasoned, the form itself would become more capacious, inventive and, well, more fun.
—Adrienne Raphel, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2024
The menus of the onsite dining destinations are inventive and upscale.
—Annie Archer, Travel + Leisure, 12 Apr. 2024
But even those attributes, and Douglas’ interpretation of them, don’t quite prove inventive enough to compensate for its shortcomings.
—Brian Lowry, CNN, 12 Apr. 2024
When other directors take over, the series is much less visually distinctive, much less inventive.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Apr. 2024
Their goal is to share a fun and inventive approach to tackling the tough topic of what’s happening to our coral reefs.
—Christina Mayo, Miami Herald, 10 Apr. 2024
And where did the inventive farmer find the right spring for the innovation?
—Roger Catlin, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Apr. 2024
Be inventive, take the initiative and strive to be the best.
—Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 19 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'inventive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near inventive
Cite this Entry
“Inventive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inventive. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
inventive
adjective
in·ven·tive
in-ˈvent-iv
: gifted with the skill and imagination to invent
inventively
adverb
inventiveness
noun
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