1
as in innovation
something (as a device) created for the first time through the use of the imagination
his clever invention made people's lives easier
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fiction
something that is the product of the imagination
unsurprisingly, the story about being kidnapped by aliens was pure invention
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3
as in imagination
the ability to form mental images of things that either are not physically present or have never been conceived or created by others
a writer with great invention, she is able to create on the page worlds that don't exist but certainly seem like they could
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4
as in creativity
the skill and imagination to create new things
a person of seemingly endless invention, Thomas Edison held a world-record 1,093 patents
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of invention
Who knows what inventions, ideas or technological feats will be imagined in gyms or on surfboards as these three Southern California teenagers unleash their brain power and love for having fun on the East Coast.
—
Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2026
In 2026, the United States marks 250 years of independence—a quarter millennium shaped by invention, immigration, industry and reinvention.
—Sudhir Gupta, Rolling Stone, 25 Mar. 2026
While ergonomic pillows are hardly a new invention, social media seems to be churning them back into the zeitgeist.
—Kristine Thomason, Vogue, 25 Mar. 2026
Laboratory tests showed their inventions held their own against commercially available electrodes, by storing as much as 48 watt hours per kilogram.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for invention
Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2026
In 2026, the United States marks 250 years of independence—a quarter millennium shaped by invention, immigration, industry and reinvention.
—Sudhir Gupta, Rolling Stone, 25 Mar. 2026
While ergonomic pillows are hardly a new invention, social media seems to be churning them back into the zeitgeist.
—Kristine Thomason, Vogue, 25 Mar. 2026
Laboratory tests showed their inventions held their own against commercially available electrodes, by storing as much as 48 watt hours per kilogram.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for invention
Recent Examples of Synonyms for invention
Noun
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Its deployment reflects Beijing’s growing ambition to build long-term, scalable infrastructure for sustained deep-sea exploration and innovation.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Mar. 2026
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Trump and his advisors, including AI and crypto czar David Sacks, have argued that various state laws are a burden to innovation.—
Deepa Shivaram,
NPR,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
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My colleagues in European public broadcasting, in other countries — whether smaller countries that can’t afford to support their national production at the same level as ours, or countries as big as ours but facing the same budget constraints — are already diving into American fiction.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
26 Mar. 2026
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On the final day of the festival, The Observer is hosting an event with debut novelists the paper considers to be rising stars of fiction.—
Irenie Forshaw,
TheWeek,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But this is not extreme demands by any stretch of the imagination.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
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The world of dance has leapt long in fashion’s collective imagination—but the reign of the ballet flat may, finally, be twirling off.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Your creativity is also doing something quietly remarkable.—
Kirah Tabourn,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Mar. 2026
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November 22 – December 21 A single spark of inspiration can unleash a wildfire of creativity.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Jude relocates this tale of troubled conscience to present-day Cluj-Napoca, in Transylvania, and subjects it to a corrosively cynical twist.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
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My confidence was further bolstered when Zenker informed me about Beau Miles, an adventure filmmaker known for documenting his self-experiments, who, back in 2020, when an entirely different disaster descended upon us, ate only beans for 40 days (191 cans to be exact)—and lived to tell the tale.—
Ayana Underwood,
Outside,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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There's also a palpable new seam of imaginativeness among residents.—
Toby Skinner,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 Nov. 2024
Noun
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But without freedom, Berdyaev writes, creativeness is impossible.—
Andrew McDiarmid,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The fabrication process uses advanced microprinting systems capable of operating at the limits of current manufacturing, enabling both flexibility and structural precision at extremely small scales.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Mar. 2026
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The judiciary is getting increasingly nervous about AI fabrications becoming part of the judicial record.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Invention.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/invention. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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