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

The story of Zoe Bryce and Toby Withers, inventions of the hazy mind of Thora Pattern, could struggle to break the surface of the novel. —Audrey Wollen, The New Yorker, 25 Feb. 2025

This philosophy is mirrored in Henry Ford's invention of the assembly line, which revolutionized automobile manufacturing, making cars affordable to the average American family. —London Business School, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025

This was Thales, the invention of a bubbly Italian named Nicola Privato. —Matthew Sherrill, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025

On the path to carbon zero across the whole business, there's a lot of invention that's still going to need to happen. —Ayesha Javed, TIME, 16 Feb. 2025

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

Rhymes for invention

• attention
• contention
• convention
• declension
• detention
• dimension
• dissension
• distension
• extension
• intension
• laurentian
• prehension

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