Dictionary

invention en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ɪnˈvɛnʃən/ (UK)
• (General-American) audio

Etymology

From Middle English invencion, invencioun, from Latin inventiō either directly or via Middle French invencion, from Latin invenīre (“to discover, find, invent”), from in- (“in-: in, into”) + venīre (“to come”). Doublet of inventio. By surface analysis, invent + -ion. Displaced native Old English orþanc.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) Something invented.
   • I’m afraid there was no burglar. It was all the housekeeper’s invention.
   • Warren Sheffield is telephoning Rose long distance at half past six. […] Personally, I wouldn't marry a man who proposed to me over an invention. 1944 November 28, Irving Brecher and Fred F. Finklehoffe, Meet Me in St. Louis, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
   • British inventions have done more to influence the shape of the modern world than those of any other country. Many—football, the steam engine and Worcestershire sauce, to take a random selection—have spread pleasure, goodwill and prosperity. Others—the Maxim gun, the Shrapnel shell and jellied eels—have not. 2013 October 5, “The widening gyre”, in The Economist, volume 409, number 8856, London: The Economist Group, →ISSN, →OCLC:
   • My new invention will let you alphabetize your matchbook collection in half the usual time.
2. (countable, uncountable) The act of inventing.
   • The invention of the printing press was probably the most significant innovation of the medieval ages.
   • Invention, or the Genius of Hiſtoricizing and framing a Noble Idea upon the Subject one vvould Paint, is a particular Talent, not to be acquir'd by Study or Labour; but is properly a certain ardor exciting the Imagination, prompting and enabling it to Act. 1668, Roland Freart [i.e., Roland Fréart de Chambray], “Of Invention”, in John Evelyn, transl., An Idea of the Perfection of Painting: […], In the Savoy [London]: […] Henry Herringman […], →OCLC, page 11:
   • Digging deeper, the invention of eyeglasses is an elaboration of the more fundamental development of optics technology. The ability of a segment of a glass sphere to magnify whatever is placed before it was known around the year 1000, when the spherical segment was called a reading stone,[…]. 2013 September-October, Henry Petroski, “The Evolution of Eyeglasses”, in American Scientist:
3. (countable, uncountable) The capacity to invent.
   • It took quite a bit of invention to come up with a plan, but we did it.
4. (countable, uncountable) A small, self-contained composition, particularly those in J.S. Bach’s Two- and Three-part Inventions.
   • I particularly like the inventions in C-minor.
   • INVENTION. A term used by J. S. Bach, and probably by him only, for small pianoforte pieces — 15 in 2 parts and 15 in 3 parts — each developing a single idea, and in some measure answering to the Impromptu of a later day. 1880, George Grove (editor and entry author), A Dictionary of Music and Musicians II, London: Macmillan & Co., page 15, Invention
5. (archaic, countable, uncountable) The act of discovering or finding; the act of finding out; discovery.
   • That judicial method which serveth best for the invention of truth.

Forms

Deriveds

coinvention · Invention of the Cross · necessity is the mother of invention · reinvention · inventioneer · inventionism · inventionist · preinvention · uninvention · innovention

Relateds

inventor · inventive · invent · inventional · reinvent · invented

Synonyms

discovery

Translations (141)

pl wynalezienie (act of inventing) · sv uppfinningsförmåga (capacity to invent) · es invención (capacity to invent) · ast inventu (something invented) · de Erfinden (act of inventing) · pl wynalazek (something invented) · fi keksiminen (act of inventing) · et leiutis (something invented) · sl izum (something invented) · yue 發明 /发明 (something invented) · mk пронајдок (something invented) · fi kekseliäisyys (capacity to invent) · uk інве́нція (small self-contained musical composition) · ka გამოგონება (act of inventing) · fa-ira اِخْتِراع (something invented) · ang orþanc (act of inventing) · tg ихтироъ (something invented) · my တီထွင်မှု (something invented) · is uppfinning (something invented) · ru изобрета́тельность (capacity to invent) · ur اِیجادات (something invented) · id penemuan baru (something invented) · hu találmány (something invented) · it inventione (small self-contained musical composition) · vi phát minh (something invented) · id invensi (something invented) · grc εὕρεσις (act of inventing) · es invento (something invented) · kk өнертабыс (something invented) · tr buluş (something invented) · uk ви́нахід (something invented) · it invenzione (small self-contained musical composition) · mt invenzjoni (something invented) · ca invent (something invented) · bg изобретя́ване (act of inventing) · bn আবিষ্কার (something invented) · km ការប្រឌិត (something invented) · ta கண்டுபிடிப்பு (act of inventing) · vi sáng chế (something invented) · de Invention (small self-contained musical composition) · ug كەشپ (something invented) · uz ixtiro (something invented) · ur اِخْتِراع (something invented) · pt invenção (something invented) · tr icat (something invented) · de Erfindung (something invented) · lv izgudrojums (something invented) · de Einfallsreichtum (capacity to invent) · ps اختراع (something invented) · io inventuro (something invented) · ar اِخْتِرَاع (something invented) · ja インベンション (small self-contained musical composition) · ka გამოგონებისა (something invented) · pt invenção (act of inventing) · id invensi (act of inventing) · ko 발명 (something invented) · cmn 發明 /发明 (something invented) · bg откри́ване (act of inventing) · ang orþanc (something invented) · sk vynález (something invented) · lb Erfindung (something invented) · ru нахо́дчивость (capacity to invent) · km ប្រឌិត (something invented) · gl invención (act of inventing) · tl imbensiyon (something invented) · gl invención (something invented) · ast invención (something invented) · sh ѝзум (something invented) · cs vynález (something invented) · ca inventiva (capacity to invent) · gl invento (something invented) · hu invenció (small self-contained musical composition) · nl uitvinding (something invented) · id reka cipta (act of inventing) · bo གསར་བཟོ (something invented) · bg изобрета́телност (capacity to invent) · ast invención (act of inventing) · sv invention (small self-contained musical composition) · ro invenție (something invented) · th สิ่งประดิษฐ์ (something invented) · gsw Erfindig (something invented) · pt invenção (small self-contained musical composition) · be вынахо́дства (something invented) · cy dyfais (something invented) · it invenzione (something invented) · fi keksintö (something invented) · mk изум (something invented) · id penemuan baru (act of inventing) · hu feltalálás (act of inventing) · sh ìzum (something invented) · bg откри́тие (something invented) · lv izgudrošana (act of inventing) · id temuan (something invented) · bg изобрете́ние (something invented) · ga aireag (capacity to invent) · ru изобрете́ние (act of inventing) · lt išradimas (something invented) · fi inventio (small self-contained musical composition) · az ixtira (something invented) · ca invenció (something invented) · grc εὕρημα (something invented) · el εφεύρεση (something invented) · te కల్పన (something invented) · ja 発明 (something invented) · ca invenció (small self-contained musical composition) · ga aireagán (something invented) · pt inventividade (capacity to invent) · ur اِیجاد (something invented) · pt invenção (capacity to invent) · km តក្កកម្ម (something invented) · sq shpikje (something invented) · uk винахі́дливість (capacity to invent) · kmr îcad (something invented) · sv uppfinningsrikedom (capacity to invent) · sv uppfinning (something invented) · uk ви́найдення (act of inventing) · id reka cipta (something invented) · vo datuvot (something invented) · af uitvinding (something invented) · ug كەشپىيات (something invented) · hy գյուտ (something invented) · ky ойлоп табуу (something invented) · ca invenció (act of inventing) · he הַמְצָאָה (something invented) · es invención (something invented) · ru инве́нция (small self-contained musical composition) · hi आविष्कार (something invented) · ru изобрете́ние (something invented) · ga fionnachtain (act of inventing) · el εφεύρεση (act of inventing) · eo invento (something invented) · ru созда́ние (act of inventing) · io invento (act of inventing) · fr invention (something invented) · ta கண்டுபிடிப்பு (something invented) · ka გამომგონებლობა (capacity to invent) · nb oppfinnelse (something invented) · id penemuan (act of inventing) · uk винахо́дження (act of inventing) · da opfindelse (something invented) · kk ойлап табу (something invented)

wikidata: Q14208553 · wikidata: Q1061398 · wikidata: Q108696953