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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Until 2006, patent holders could presumptively obtain a court injunction that ordered infringers to stop using their invention (akin to a landowner’s legal right to eject trespassers camping on their property).
—
Alden Abbott, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
Funding remains a challenge for companies that are looking to scale their inventions or services, and was another major theme to emerge at the expo.
—Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 26 June 2025
Ever since their invention in 1959, plastic bags have become synonymous with shopping.
—Niamh Ordner, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2025
The invention of railway travel also necessitated the establishment of a unified time zone, which was provided by the Royal Observatory and adopted by the railway companies.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 22 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for invention
Alden Abbott, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
Funding remains a challenge for companies that are looking to scale their inventions or services, and was another major theme to emerge at the expo.
—Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 26 June 2025
Ever since their invention in 1959, plastic bags have become synonymous with shopping.
—Niamh Ordner, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2025
The invention of railway travel also necessitated the establishment of a unified time zone, which was provided by the Royal Observatory and adopted by the railway companies.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 22 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for invention
Recent Examples of Synonyms for invention
Noun
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When leaders create time and space for reflection, organizations shift from cultures of compliance to cultures of thoughtful engagement, unlocking innovation and resilience even in turbulent markets.—
Melanie Hughes,
Forbes.com,
13 July 2025
-
The American Academy of Nursing has more than 3,200 fellows who represent the organization's mission of advancing health care policy through nursing leadership, innovation and science.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
13 July 2025
Noun
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That is why this fiction is not built on facts, but rather on traversing the labyrinths of memory.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
15 July 2025
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Girl, 1983 is still more deft in its experiments, subverting conventional ideas about fiction’s use of the truth.—
Rachel Vorona Cote,
The Atlantic,
15 July 2025
Noun
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Social media has become much of the atmosphere in the telling and digestion of crimes in the American public’s imagination of them.—
Jim Halterman,
Los Angeles Times,
11 July 2025
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Like a game of cat-and-mouse, society will need to be vigilant and remain alert for those who let their imaginations roam wildly.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
Noun
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That’s the rivalry, contained in two points: the creativity and improvisational feel of Alcaraz; the crushing technical brilliance of Sinner.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
14 July 2025
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This doesn't mean abandoning creativity but embedding it in a framework that AI can parse.—
Don Dodds,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
Noun
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At least for now, the Saks story is no longer a tale about financing.—
Evan Clark,
Footwear News,
7 July 2025
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Sula by Toni Morrison Toni Morrison’s suite of stunning historical novels includes Beloved, A Mercy, and this 1973 tale of a friendship between Sula Peace and Nel Wright.—
Mia Barzilay Freund,
Vogue,
7 July 2025
Noun
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In Arizona, the Taiwan company is developing six semiconductor fabrication plants, Chron reports.—
Alexis Simmerman,
Austin American Statesman,
2 July 2025
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The Polish chronicler Ryszard Kapuściński tried to do for the age of decolonization what Malaparte did for the Second World War, though without winning the same indulgence for fabrication.—
Thomas Meaney,
New Yorker,
2 July 2025
Noun
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Such is often the case with culinary tradition, as countless now-iconic dishes began with just a few basic ingredients, a little ingenuity and at least one historical atrocity.—
Bradley Hohulin,
IndyStar,
2 July 2025
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History has shown that when properly mobilized, the United States can retool with astonishing speed and ingenuity.—
Damien Ma,
Foreign Affairs,
1 July 2025
Noun
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That’s how many visits readers made to the web novel and webtoon that inspired the film Omniscient Reader: The Prophecy.—
Joan MacDonald,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
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Published in 2021 by Berkley, an imprint of Penguin Random House, the novel debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list and spent more than one year on the list.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
1 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Invention.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/invention. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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