1
as in creativity
the ability to form mental images of things that either are not physically present or have never been conceived or created by others
the artist's fertile inventiveness allows her to put on canvas landscapes that have never been trod by mortal feet
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in creativeness
the skill and imagination to create new things
the contention that, in order to prosper, cities must attract young, well-educated people of great inventiveness in both the arts and high technology
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Recent Examples of inventiveness
These grander moments of inventiveness don’t stop City from finding joy and absurdity in smaller and seemingly inconsequential stories either.
—
Kambole Campbell, Vulture, 9 Dec. 2025
The Innovation Award honors exceptional distinctiveness, inventiveness and impact in expanding the conventions of program format, content, audience interaction, production technique and delivery.
—Giana Levy, Variety, 9 Dec. 2025
With its abundance of concrete, startling interior views, and play of deep shadows, the design invokes the ornery inventiveness of Kahn and Paul Rudolph, combined with the corporate sleekness of MoMA’s most recent iterations by Yoshio Taniguchi and Diller Scofidio + Renfro.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 3 Nov. 2025
The 50-year-old former longtime creative director at Moschino is known for his inventiveness and bold riffs on Americana and pop culture.
—Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 31 Oct. 2025
For example, they were asked to find a creative use for an everyday object, then their responses were ranked on inventiveness.
—Liz Regalia, Parents, 28 Oct. 2025
Bennett is a writer of great linguistic inventiveness; her previous books, the short-story collection Pond and the novel Checkout 19, use surprising wordplay to evoke their narrators’ unique ways of interacting with the world.
—Rhian Sasseen, The Atlantic, 22 Oct. 2025
BigXthaPlug – and his many collaborators – score big wins on several Billboard charts this week thanks to that inventiveness.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
But there is one exception, a scene whose dramatic importance is reflected in a startling inventiveness of composition, and whose stylistic finesse provides a clue about where Aster’s emotional investment lies.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2025
Kambole Campbell, Vulture, 9 Dec. 2025
The Innovation Award honors exceptional distinctiveness, inventiveness and impact in expanding the conventions of program format, content, audience interaction, production technique and delivery.
—Giana Levy, Variety, 9 Dec. 2025
With its abundance of concrete, startling interior views, and play of deep shadows, the design invokes the ornery inventiveness of Kahn and Paul Rudolph, combined with the corporate sleekness of MoMA’s most recent iterations by Yoshio Taniguchi and Diller Scofidio + Renfro.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 3 Nov. 2025
The 50-year-old former longtime creative director at Moschino is known for his inventiveness and bold riffs on Americana and pop culture.
—Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 31 Oct. 2025
For example, they were asked to find a creative use for an everyday object, then their responses were ranked on inventiveness.
—Liz Regalia, Parents, 28 Oct. 2025
Bennett is a writer of great linguistic inventiveness; her previous books, the short-story collection Pond and the novel Checkout 19, use surprising wordplay to evoke their narrators’ unique ways of interacting with the world.
—Rhian Sasseen, The Atlantic, 22 Oct. 2025
BigXthaPlug – and his many collaborators – score big wins on several Billboard charts this week thanks to that inventiveness.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
But there is one exception, a scene whose dramatic importance is reflected in a startling inventiveness of composition, and whose stylistic finesse provides a clue about where Aster’s emotional investment lies.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inventiveness
Noun
-
Because of the skills that neurodiverse individuals can bring to the workplace — hyperfocus, creativity, empathy and niche expertise, just to name a few — some research suggests that organizations prioritizing inclusivity in this space generate nearly one-fifth higher revenue.—
Rachel Curry,
CNBC,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Recent scientific studies have found that horticultural therapy promotes creativity, self-esteem, social interaction and sensory stimulation.—
The San Diego Union Tribune,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
For their part, many voters always seem to be searching for some idealized candidate who exists only in their imagination.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Mercury News,
7 Jan. 2026
-
The Visionary Award recognizes an individual who has uniquely and consistently employed the art and science of VFX to foster imagination and ignite future discoveries by way of artistry, invention and groundbreaking work.—
Erik Pedersen,
Deadline,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
For 175 years, California has been a marvel of invention and reinvention, disaster and recovery, grit and ingenuity.—
Sacramento Bee staff,
Sacbee.com,
8 Jan. 2026
-
For me this award reflects the dedication, ingenuity, and generosity of spirit by so many of our artists that have joined me on this journey over the past 38 years.—
Beatrice Verhoeven,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The movie is like a version of Waiting for Guffman (1996) in which the Christopher Guest character was not a buffoon but an earnest striver with grit and (significant) talent.—
Peter Tonguette,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Jan. 2026
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That’s because North Crowley’s talent development, depth, culture and recent success have put the school in a position to compete for championships.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inventiveness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inventiveness. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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