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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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
Glass is a human invention, and its breakage is inevitably associated with human violence or a human accident: a burglar’s incursion, a child’s wayward baseball, a pogrom.
—
Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 22 May 2025
James Dyson is master of invention and reinvention — first the vacuum and now the hairdryer, with lots of ground-breaking innovation in between.
—Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 20 May 2025
His invention projects closed captions into a pair of glasses with the aid of a Bluetooth connection to an iPhone, which provides the information into the microphone.
—Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 20 May 2025
With this one invention, millions of secretaries would soon be relieved of the drudgery of constant retyping, and the business office would have a boon in productivity almost as profound as the one the typewriter itself had ushered in long before.
—Pat Butler, Sportico.com, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for invention
Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 22 May 2025
James Dyson is master of invention and reinvention — first the vacuum and now the hairdryer, with lots of ground-breaking innovation in between.
—Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 20 May 2025
His invention projects closed captions into a pair of glasses with the aid of a Bluetooth connection to an iPhone, which provides the information into the microphone.
—Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 20 May 2025
With this one invention, millions of secretaries would soon be relieved of the drudgery of constant retyping, and the business office would have a boon in productivity almost as profound as the one the typewriter itself had ushered in long before.
—Pat Butler, Sportico.com, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for invention
Recent Examples of Synonyms for invention
Noun
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The Trump administration's stance on AI has largely aligned with that of companies, arguing that regulation would stymie innovation.—
Sudiksha Kochi,
USA Today,
7 June 2025
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For well-resourced jurisdictions, this could spur innovation.—
Emil Sayegh,
Forbes.com,
7 June 2025
Noun
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The title is a reference to Samuel Beckett’s classic play about a pair of drifters stuck waiting for a visitor who never shows, while his blend of fact and fiction takes a page from Gonzo classics like Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.—
Elisabeth Garber-Paul,
Rolling Stone,
29 May 2025
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Is that fact or fiction? North Texas has seen its fair share of rain over the month, including a stormy Memorial Day with 2.15 inches recorded at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 May 2025
Noun
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Partnering with Hrithik Roshan is a step forward in realizing that vision, crafting a film where intensity meets imagination on a grand scale.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
28 May 2025
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Theoretical physics has long held a special place in the scientific imagination — not just for its foundational questions, but for its strangeness.—
John Drake,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2025
Noun
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In his absence, the first-place Cubs have consistently found different ways to win games and reshape their pitching staff, demonstrating resilience and creativity.—
Patrick Mooney,
New York Times,
28 May 2025
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Unlike technical skills that may become obsolete with technological advancements, durable skills such as communication, creativity and emotional intelligence remain consistently valuable across industries and roles.—
Heather V. MacArthur,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2025
Noun
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Guns, knives, swords, cleavers, axes, ice picks and flamethrowers will all be put to use in this tale of a revenge.—
Andrew Torgan,
CNN Money,
1 June 2025
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For all that this season marks a new epoch in the tale of booming UEFA prize money, cash will be far from the thoughts of Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday evening in Munich.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
31 May 2025
Noun
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The story is a fabrication from beginning to end, utterly and completely false.—
Jason O'Bryan,
Robb Report,
24 May 2025
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The oversized garage has been used as an art studio, welding and fabrication shop, and for camper van storage.—
Sara B. Hansen,
Denver Post,
19 May 2025
Noun
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If so, this car reaches a new level of unfathomable American ingenuity, combined with a newfound level of refinement and traction management that attempts to belie the undeniable absurdity to a minimal, arguably necessary, extent.—
Michael Teo Van Runkle,
ArsTechnica,
30 May 2025
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Born into two legacies—the Vanderbilts of Gilded Age lore and the Wades of Western Union fame—Emily was the daughter of William Henry Vanderbilt III, former governor of Rhode Island, and a direct descendant of both industrial ingenuity and patrician civic duty.—
Annie Davidson,
Robb Report,
29 May 2025
Noun
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Yet the show built around him — Dept. Q, a new Netflix series adapted from the Danish noir novels by Jussi Adler-Olsen — turns out to be startlingly likable, and also sad, and funny, and scary, and thrilling.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
29 May 2025
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From a serious threat linking back to a Jan. 6 Capitol rioter to Ethan’s obsession with a full-fledged medieval knight costume, these elements may have worked in Burke’s novel, but simply do not translate well on screen.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
29 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Invention.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/invention. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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