invention

noun

in·​ven·​tion in-ˈven(t)-shən 

1

a

: something invented: such as

(1)

: a device, contrivance, or process originated after study and experiment

(2)

: a product of the imagination

especially : a false conception

b

: a short keyboard composition featuring two- or three-part counterpoint

2

: the act or process of inventing

3

: productive imagination : inventiveness

4

: discovery, finding

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

• brainchild
• coinage
• concoction
• contrivance
• creation
• innovation
• wrinkle

Examples of invention in a Sentence

The light bulb was one of the most important inventions of the 19th century.

The stories he told about his military service were just inventions.

His explanation was pure invention.

Parts of the movie were accurate, but much of it was invention.

the invention of a new product

the invention of a false story

an artist with exceptional powers of invention

Recent Examples on the Web

His invention—called Lexico—eventually became Scrabble, which would go on to sell over 165 million copies in 28 languages. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Apr. 2024

Cotton textiles, as well as inventions that facilitated their production, like the cotton gin and power loom, spurred innovation in mechanized products. —TIME, 17 Apr. 2024

His invention, creatively named the Benz Patent-Motorwagen, went on sale in 1888, becoming the first commercially available automobile. —Bob Sorokanich, Robb Report, 17 Apr. 2024

Before its passage, the federal government owned the patents on inventions resulting from academic research that had received any amount of federal funding. —Jungsang Kim, Fortune, 12 Apr. 2024

The two nations remain dependent on one another technologically, with the US tapping Chinese talent and manufacturing to power its tech industry, and China drawing on inventions and technologies sourced from the West to fuel its own. —Will Knight, WIRED, 11 Apr. 2024

By the time President Ronald Reagan entered the White House, in 1981, Nixon and Kissinger’s invention was on its last legs. —Matt Pottinger, Foreign Affairs, 10 Apr. 2024

In her feature directorial debut, The First Omen filmmaker Arkasha Stevenson has pulled off the delicate balance between homage and invention. —Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Apr. 2024

Jerry Seinfeld is helming a comedic take on the invention of Pop-Tarts. —Benjamin Vanhoose, Peoplemag, 28 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Phrases Containing invention

• necessity is the mother of invention
• self-invention

Kids Definition

invention

noun

in·​ven·​tion in-ˈven-chən 

1

: something invented

especially : an original device or process

2

: an imaginary story

3

: the act, process, or power of inventing

Legal Definition

invention

noun

in·​ven·​tion

: a device, process, or discovery under U.S. patent law that is new and useful, that reflects extraordinary creative ability or skill, and that makes a distinct and recognized contribution to and advancement of science

also : the act or process of creating such an invention compare aggregation, combination, equivalent