innovation

noun

ˌi-nə-ˈvā-shən How to pronounce innovation (audio)
Definition of innovationnext
as in invention
something (as a device) created for the first time through the use of the imagination the computer is one innovation that revolutionized the business world

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of innovation Among the various green commitments and innovations of note, all of Explora’s ships are RINA Dolphin-certified for their low-level of underwater noise emissions, which helps preserve marine life. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Aug. 2026 Police have credited the technology as an important crime-fighting innovation that has helped locate missing people and track suspects in violent crimes, according to the Associated Press. — Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026 And any dampened demand for popular tech risks further limiting innovation while seemingly working in lockstep with tariffs to slow AI adoption in the US, the letter warned. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2026 Placide Mbala Kingebeni, Africa CDC’s director for research, clinical trials and innovation, said data will be collected during the vaccination campaign to measure how well the vaccine works. — ABC News, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for innovation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for innovation
  1. invention
  2. creation
Noun
  • Historically, of course, founder Edouard Hermes was a beloved Parisian saddlemaker and his invention in 1890s of the HAC.
    — Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Cinema is a relatively young art form; the idea of owning a personal copy of a film is an even more recent invention.
    — Sophia Nguyen, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of invention
Noun
  • The content creation platform dominated by adult content creators just put out its latest annual numbers.
    — Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026
  • How Clarke reached this rarefied realm of cinematic creation—and then largely left it behind—is an exemplary story of artistic psychology, film history, and social politics.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of creation

Browse Nearby Words

innovating
innovation
innovational
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Innovation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/innovation. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on innovation

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about innovation

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 28

Why do we say 'break a leg'?
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All