invent

[in-vent]

verb (used with object)

1. to originate or create as a product of one's own ingenuity, experimentation, or contrivance.

   to invent the telegraph.

   Synonyms: contrive, devise

2. to produce or create with the imagination.

   to invent a story.

   Synonyms: conceive, imagine

3. to make up or fabricate (something fictitious or false).

   to invent excuses.

   Synonyms: concoct

4. Archaic.,  to come upon; find.

invent

/ ɪnˈvɛnt /

verb

1. to create or devise (new ideas, machines, etc)

2. to make up (falsehoods); fabricate

Other Word Forms

• inventible adjective
• inventable adjective
• outinvent verb (used with object)
• preinvent verb (used with object)
• self-invented adjective
• uninvented adjective
• well-invented adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of invent¹

First recorded in 1425–75; back formation from late Middle English invented (past participle) “found, discovered,” from Latin invent(us) “encountered” (past participle of invenīre “to come upon, encounter, find,” from in- in- ² + venīre “to come”; come ) + -ed ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of invent¹

C15: from Latin invenīre to find, come upon, from _in- ² + venīre to come

Synonym Study

See discover.

Example Sentences

The region also is home to one of the country’s recent pasta innovations—spaghetti all’assassina, or “murderer’s style”—invented in Bari in the 1960s.

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Now, two more plaintiffs have come forward to say they invented their claims in exchange for cash.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Others assert that rights were “invented” in the 20th century and used to justify Cold War interventionism.

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“We’ve pretty much, with Space X, invented the category,” he says.

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“Drew made event art. His posters made many of our movies into destinations,” director Steven Spielberg said in a statement, adding: “In his own invented style, nobody drew like Drew.”

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Related Words

• bear 
• come up with 
• conceive 
• design 
• devise 
• discover 
• dream up 
• envision 
• fashion 
• find 
• forge 
• formulate 
• initiate 
• originate 
• produce