innovation

noun

in·​no·​va·​tion ˌi-nə-ˈvā-shən 

1

: a new idea, method, or device : novelty

She is responsible for many innovations in her field.

the latest technological innovations

What was once a wacky innovation has become a fact of getting around.

—Justin Davidson

2

: the introduction of something new

Through technology and innovation, they found ways to get better results with less work.

Live music is nice, but there's a lot of innovation that can happen in the music video.

—Grimes, quoted in Rolling Stone

innovational

ˌi-nə-ˈvā-sh(ə-)nəl 

adjective

Did you know?

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.

Synonyms of innovation

• invention
• creation

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 on the Web

The vaccination trials started in the eastern Tshopo, Haut-Uele and Bas-Uele provinces, said Placide Mbala Kingebeni, Africa CDC's director for research, clinical trials and innovation, on Thursday. — Jean-Yves Kamale, Arkansas Online, 11 Sep. 2026

Throughout the conflict, India has sought to position itself as a voice for dialogue while avoiding taking sides, emphasizing themes of resilience, sustainability, cooperation and innovation. — Kyra Colah, FOXNews.com, 11 Sep. 2026

Tighter enforcement also supports Beijing's effort to keep investment capital within China and deepen domestic capital markets as a funding source for technological innovation, said Dan Wang, China director at Eurasia Group. — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 11 Sep. 2026

Organizations joining the innovation hub through ETH Zurich will also gain access to IBM’s wider fleet of quantum computers through the cloud. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 10 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for innovation

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation

Kids Definition

innovation

noun

in·​no·​va·​tion ˌin-ə-ˈvā-shən 

1

: the introduction of something new

2

: a new idea, method, or device