invent en · VERB
Pronunciation
- (General-American) audio
- /ɪnˈvɛnt/
Etymology
From Middle English inventen, borrowed from Old French inventer, from Latin inventus, perfect passive participle of inveniō (“come upon, meet with, find, discover”), from in (“in, on”) + veniō (“come”); see venture. Compare advent, covent, event, prevent, etc. Displaced native Old English āþenċan (literally “to think out”).
Meanings
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To design a new process or mechanism.
After weeks of hard work, I invented a new way to alphabetize matchbooks.
Accurſt be he that firſt inuented war
c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act II, scene iv:
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To create something fictional for a particular purpose.
We need a name to put in this form, so let's just invent one.
I knew I had to invent an excuse, and quickly.
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(obsolete) To come upon; to find; to discover.
Far off he wonders, what them makes so glad, / If Bacchus merry fruit they did inuent [...].
1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto IV”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| inventedst | Number=Sing, Person=2, Tense=Past | archaic | lexicographic |
| inventest | Number=Sing, Person=2, Tense=Pres | archaic | lexicographic |
| invents | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic | |
| inventing | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| invented | Number=Plur, Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| invented | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| invented | Number=Sing, Person=2, Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| invented | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| invented | Mood=Sub, Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| invented | Number=Sing, Person=1, Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| invented | Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| inventeth | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | archaic | lexicographic |
| invent | Number=Plur, Tense=Pres | lexicographic | |
| invent | VerbForm=Inf | lexicographic | |
| invent | Mood=Sub, Tense=Pres | lexicographic | |
| invent | Number=Sing, Person=1, Tense=Pres | lexicographic | |
| invent | Mood=Imp, Tense=Pres | lexicographic | |
| invent | Number=Sing, Person=2, Tense=Pres | lexicographic |
Deriveds
innovent · inventable · outinvent · inventful · not invented here · inventible · why God invented · disinvent · uninvent · coinvent
Relateds
inventor · inventive · invention · reinvent · inventory · discover · invented
Synonyms
manufacture · make up · conceive · spin · fangle
Translations (101)
ca inventar (create something fictional) · ga ceap (create something fictional) · ko 발명하다 (design a new process or mechanism) · ru выду́мывать (create something fictional) · ru сочини́ть (create something fictional) · grc ἐξευρίσκω (design a new process or mechanism) · kw devisya (design a new process or mechanism) · tr icat etmek (design a new process or mechanism) · az uydurmaq (create something fictional) · hu feltalál (design a new process or mechanism) · hy հնարել (design a new process or mechanism) · hu kitalál (create something fictional) · vi phát minh (design a new process or mechanism) · la inveniō (design a new process or mechanism) · uk винахо́дити (design a new process or mechanism) · hu kiötöl (create something fictional) · gl inventar (design a new process or mechanism) · ru сочиня́ть (create something fictional) · sv uppfinna (design a new process or mechanism) · es inventar (create something fictional) · nl uitdenken (design a new process or mechanism) · hu kigondol (create something fictional) · ja 発明する (design a new process or mechanism) · de ausdenken (create something fictional) · ru приду́мывать (create something fictional) · ro născoci (design a new process or mechanism) · tr yaratmak (create something fictional) · lt išgalvoti (create something fictional) · ang āþenċan (create something fictional) · hu kiagyal (create something fictional) · mk измислува (design a new process or mechanism) · ro scorni (design a new process or mechanism) · ga cum (create something fictional) · nl verzinnen (create something fictional) · bg изми́слям (create something fictional) · sl izumiti (design a new process or mechanism) · ang āþenċan (design a new process or mechanism) · sl izumljati (design a new process or mechanism) · ru изобрета́ть (design a new process or mechanism) · eo inventi (design a new process or mechanism) · pt inventar (design a new process or mechanism) · nl uitvinden (design a new process or mechanism) · pl wymyślać (create something fictional) · mk пронаоѓа (design a new process or mechanism) · pl wynaleźć (design a new process or mechanism) · ru измышля́ть (create something fictional) · cmn 發明 /发明 (design a new process or mechanism) · ru вы́думать (create something fictional) · km បង្កើត (design a new process or mechanism) · sh izumeti (design a new process or mechanism) · zdj utrunga (create something fictional) · fo finna upp (design a new process or mechanism) · az quraşdırmaq (create something fictional) · it inventare (design a new process or mechanism) · sh изумјети (design a new process or mechanism) · ro inventa (design a new process or mechanism) · is finna upp (design a new process or mechanism) · af uitvind (design a new process or mechanism) · ga ceap (design a new process or mechanism) · la reperiō (design a new process or mechanism) · be вы́найсці (design a new process or mechanism) · ru созда́ть (design a new process or mechanism) · el εφευρίσκω (design a new process or mechanism) · ta கண்டுபிடி (create something fictional) · bg изобретя́вам (design a new process or mechanism) · fr inventer (design a new process or mechanism) · fr inventer (create something fictional) · sh изумети (design a new process or mechanism) · it creare (create something fictional) · sk vynájsť (design a new process or mechanism) · de erfinden (design a new process or mechanism) · ar اِخْتَرَعَ (design a new process or mechanism) · cs vynalézt (design a new process or mechanism) · nl bedenken (create something fictional) · fi keksiä (create something fictional) · ga cum (design a new process or mechanism) · pl wymyślić (create something fictional) · nl uitvinden (create something fictional) · uk ви́найти (design a new process or mechanism) · tr uydurmak (create something fictional) · vo datuvön (design a new process or mechanism) · ru создава́ть (design a new process or mechanism) · sh izumjeti (design a new process or mechanism) · th คิดค้น (design a new process or mechanism) · ota دوزمك (create something fictional) · ta கண்டுபிடி (design a new process or mechanism) · it ideare (create something fictional) · fo hugsa upp (design a new process or mechanism) · de erfinden (create something fictional) · no oppfinne (design a new process or mechanism) · ca inventar (design a new process or mechanism) · nl uitdenken (create something fictional) · mk изумува (design a new process or mechanism) · ru приду́мать (create something fictional) · es inventar (design a new process or mechanism) · be вынахо́дзіць (design a new process or mechanism) · mk измислува (create something fictional) · hu kieszel (create something fictional) · fi keksiä (design a new process or mechanism) · ru изобрести́ (design a new process or mechanism) · ru измы́слить (create something fictional)