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
With telegraph machines and telephones from the 1800s, inventions from Thomas Edison’s company, 20th-century TVs and computers and more, the museum covers how technology in media evolved.
—
Zuri Primos
june 3, Kansas City Star, 3 June 2026
The invention that Edison brought into the offices of Scientific American also used sound vibrations to make a needle vibrate—in his case, by digging grooves into a strip of tinfoil or paper that was embossed with wax.
—Ron Cowen, Scientific American, 3 June 2026
The Lumen cocktail bar, meanwhile, has an exceptional cocktail menu that runs the gamut from beloved Italian classics to off-the-wall inventions.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
Or order an avocado toast, also believed to be an Australian invention.
—Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for invention
Zuri Primos
june 3, Kansas City Star, 3 June 2026
The invention that Edison brought into the offices of Scientific American also used sound vibrations to make a needle vibrate—in his case, by digging grooves into a strip of tinfoil or paper that was embossed with wax.
—Ron Cowen, Scientific American, 3 June 2026
The Lumen cocktail bar, meanwhile, has an exceptional cocktail menu that runs the gamut from beloved Italian classics to off-the-wall inventions.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
Or order an avocado toast, also believed to be an Australian invention.
—Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for invention
Recent Examples of Synonyms for invention
Noun
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The astronomical pay package and eye-popping performance targets are on brand for Musk, whose track record of innovation is perhaps matched only by his thirst for attention.—
Amanda Gerut,
Fortune,
6 June 2026
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Applicants may interpret topics such as climate justice, corporate greenwashing, Indigenous rights, material innovation, wildlife and biodiversity, waste and pollution, grassroots activism, recycling and circularity, and the physical and mental impacts of the climate crisis.—
Vogue,
Vogue,
6 June 2026
Noun
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Clearly, the promotional popcorn stunts were effective marketing, inspiring fans to flock to comment sections and discussion threads to find out what was fact and what was fiction.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
4 June 2026
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Its presidential reading room features thousands of books chosen by the Obamas, ranging from presidential biographies to best-selling fiction.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 June 2026
Noun
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The ‘Big River’ captured Mark Twain’s imagination.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
31 May 2026
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And for venture capital, imagination may remain the most important signal of all.—
Anna Demeo,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Noun
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That spirit still drives the family today, even as each sibling approaches creativity from a different angle.—
Datwon Thomas,
VIBE.com,
6 June 2026
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However, bringing the villa to life has required a surprising amount of time, materials and creativity.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
6 June 2026
Noun
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There is a little more to it, as the tale of the boy from Yonkers has some of the same up-and-down flair of the Knicks and Mets during his Hall of Fame career.—
Andrew Marchand,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
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And hey, if this movie racks up the views, perhaps the next tale will make it to theaters, with bigger co-stars to boot.—
Mark Meszoros,
Twin Cities,
29 May 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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Lam Research Lam Research (LRCX), a provider of wafer fabrication equipment and services to the semiconductor industry, is this week’s third stock pick.—
TipRanks.com Staff,
CNBC,
31 May 2026
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This includes power generation, transmission infrastructure, semiconductor fabrication, data centers, permitting systems, workforce development, and the critical mineral supply chains needed to support industrial expansion.—
Robert Ginsburg,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Invention.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/invention. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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