innovative
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of innovative
Explanation
Something innovative is new and original. If you love to experiment and find new ways to do things, you are an innovative person. Innovative, like nova, novel, and novice, comes from the Latin novus, which means new. Something innovative renews or alters the way something has been done. You can use innovative to describe the thing or the person that made it. If your English teacher objects to your experimental writing style, tell him, "I'm an innovative writer making innovative sentences!" Antonyms are unoriginal and hackneyed.
Vocabulary lists containing innovative
Brand Spankin' New: Words with Neo- and Nov-
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
100 SAT Words Beginning with "I"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Mardi Gras: Fun
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Jeff Marks, the chief executive of Los Angeles-based Innovative Partnerships Group, once brokered a naming rights deal in which the Cal football team would play on Kabam Field at California Memorial Stadium.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026
Innovative U.S. inertial fusion energy companies, including those that use pulsed power and laser approaches, are building demonstration systems on a scale comparable to China’s facilities.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 23, 2026
Funding was provided by organizations including the Swedish Research Council, the Hållsten Research Foundation, the Alzheimer's Foundation and the private initiative Innovative ways to fight Alzheimer´s disease -- Leif Lundblad Family and others and RIKEN.
From Science Daily • Feb. 17, 2026
Innovative additions, such as this year's One Point Slam, have brought new eyeballs to the sport and been considered a roaring success.
From BBC • Feb. 3, 2026
“I don’t know; I think we have a good shot. Your idea is really good. Innovative, just ambitious enough...I think we’re going to kill it.”
From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
