invention
Pluralinventions
- 1A new object or idea that someone has made for the first time.
Like a brand-new toy that nobody had ever built before.
The wheel is one of the oldest inventions in history.
His clever invention made cooking much faster.
Similarinnovation, creation, contrivance, device, breakthrough
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- 2The act of making something new for the first time.
Like the moment a cook first puts together a brand-new recipe.
The invention of the wheel happened thousands of years ago.
Her work focuses on the invention of new and simpler tools.
Similarcreation, development, devising, origination, conception
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- 3The ability to think up new ideas and make new things.
Like the spark in your mind that helps you build something no one taught you.
The young engineer showed great invention in solving the problem.
Good design needs both skill and invention.
Similarcreativity, imagination, originality, ingenuity, inspiration
- 4A short piece of music that stands on its own, like the famous ones by Bach.
Like a short, complete song you can play all by itself.
She practiced a Bach invention on the piano every morning.
The student finally learned to play a two-part invention.
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Less common meaning
- 5The act of finding or discovering something.
Like the moment you finally find something you have been looking for.
The invention of the hidden spring saved the lost travelers.
After a long search, the invention of the old map led them home.
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Practice
Can you tell the meanings of invention apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.
Origin
It comes from Latin invenīre, meaning "to find" or "to discover," made from in- ("in, into") plus venīre ("to come").