Advertisement

Advertisement

View synonyms for invent

invent

[ in-vent ]

verb (used with object)

  1. to originate or create as a product of one's own ingenuity, experimentation, or contrivance:

    to invent the telegraph.

    Synonyms: contrive, devise

  2. to produce or create with the imagination:

    to invent a story.

    Synonyms: conceive, imagine

  3. to make up or fabricate (something fictitious or false):

    to invent excuses.

    Synonyms: concoct

  4. Archaic. to come upon; find.


invent

/ ɪnˈvɛnt /

verb

  1. to create or devise (new ideas, machines, etc)
  2. to make up (falsehoods); fabricate
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


Discover More

Derived Forms

  • inˈventible, adjective
Discover More

Other Words From

  • in·venti·ble in·venta·ble adjective
  • outin·vent verb (used with object)
  • prein·vent verb (used with object)
  • self-in·vented adjective
  • unin·vented adjective
  • well-in·vented adjective
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of invent1

First recorded in 1425–75; back formation from late Middle English invented (past participle) “found, discovered,” from Latin invent(us) “encountered” (past participle of invenīre “to come upon, encounter, find,” from in- in- 2 + venīre “to come”; come ) + -ed 2
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of invent1

C15: from Latin invenīre to find, come upon, from in- ² + venīre to come
Discover More

Synonym Study

Discover More

Example Sentences

If putting the purpose of a business at the heart of corporate law does all of that, one might well wonder why we invented the corporation in the first place.

From Fortune

In 1994, mathematician Peter Shor invented an algorithm, that if run on a sufficiently powerful quantum computer, would easily find these two primes.

From Fortune

It was a British TV company that wanted him to invent a language for monsters with no lips, just big teeth, in a new fantasy series, Beowulf.

By September, the Justice Department drops all charges after it is revealed that the schematics were of an entirely different device that Xi had invented.

His goal is to refine and commercialize technology, rather than invent anything entirely new.

From Fortune

I still do find it a tremendously useful device to invent a character and have the character sing the song.

As a Harvard undergraduate, he used systolic blood pressure readings to invent the lie detector test.

Did McCarthy invent the portrayal of violence in fiction, or should that laurel go to Homer?

Reform first came in 1935 when Lenora Slaughter was hired to re-invent the pageant as its new director.

By using an alter ego, he liberates himself, relaxes himself so he can invent freely.

I add nothing to the “Extremes,” import nothing from abroad in regard to them, invent nothing.

As if there were not enough real tragedy in the world and it were necessary to invent!

Controve, compose or invent tunes, foule fayle, fail miserably.

She might have invented a pretext for staying away; she might even invent a pretext now for going.

If a man prefers not to speak of himself or of his doings, his enemies will soon invent some tale of their own.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


invenitinvention