innovation

American  

[in-uh-vay-shuhn] / ˌɪn əˈveɪ ʃən /

noun

• innovations
  plural

1. 

   something new or different introduced.

   numerous innovations in the high school curriculum.

2. the act of innovating; introduction of new things or methods.

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innovation British  

/ ˌɪnəˈveɪʃən /

noun

1. something newly introduced, such as a new method or device

2. the act of innovating

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Usage

What does innovation mean? Innovation can refer to something new, such as an invention, or the practice of developing and introducing new things. An innovation is often a new product, but it can also be a new way of doing something or even a new way of thinking. Innovation is most commonly associated with business and technology, but it happens in any field where people introduce change, including the arts, medicine, politics, cooking, language—even philosophy and religion. Example: The internet changed society and is often considered the ultimate example of innovation, but it was built on the backs of many smaller, previous innovations.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• innovationist
  noun
• innovational
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• innovations
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of innovation

First recorded in 1540–50; from Late Latin innovātiōn- (stem of innovātiō ); see origin at innovate, -ion

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Explanation

An innovation is the introduction of something new. If you run a magazine about new technology, then you're constantly looking out for the next innovation. Innovation comes from Latin innovare for renew, whose root is novus or new. It can be used for either the act of introducing something new, as in a company that rewards creativity and innovation, or something that is newly introduced, like an innovation in microchip design. It was once used politically in the sense of revolution, but now you're most likely to hear it in relation to technology, or new ways of doing something.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

innovation innovations

The models, which are part of its Nemotron family, represent Nvidia’s latest efforts to deliver innovation in open-weight or open-source models—and serve as a boon for the American open-model effort.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

She succeeds Jeff Baker, who will now focus on menu strategy as vice president of category management and culinary innovation, the company said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

Buildings are assessed across a range of criteria, including design vision, innovation, sustainability, functionality, and the ability to delight users and visitors.

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026

The cause also prompted Swank to join baby product company HealthyBaby as a chief innovation officer.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026

Burnham and Root realized that Jenney’s innovation freed builders from the last physical constraints on altitude.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

From surgery-to-ICU handovers and neonatal care to air-ambulance response times, F1's innovations have made an impact far beyond the track.

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026

For decades, chip advances came almost exclusively from innovations in how transistors were designed and how small they were.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

But innovations in private security technology could transport us to a world that looks and feels as it once did—safer, open, free.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

Garcia at Ostirion agreed, saying that while innovations used to take decades to implement, "with AI and other robotic applications, everything is moving much faster".

From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026

The enormous Palais du Champ de Mars houses a Street of Nations and a Gallery of Machines, where visitors can see innovations and art from around the world.

From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman

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Related Words

• modernization

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