innovate
Americanverb (used without object)
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innovates,
present (3rd person singular)
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innovated,
past participle, past
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innovating
present participle
verb (used with object)
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innovates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
innovated,
past participle, past
-
innovating
present participle
-
to introduce (something new) for or as if for the first time.
to innovate a computer operating system.
-
Archaic. to alter.
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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innovatesimple
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innovatessimple
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have innovatedperfect
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has innovatedperfect
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am innovatingprogressive
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are innovatingprogressive
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is innovatingprogressive
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have been innovatingperfect progressive
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has been innovatingperfect progressive
Past
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innovatedsimple
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had innovatedperfect
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was innovatingprogressive
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were innovatingprogressive
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had been innovatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of innovate
First recorded in 1540–50; from Latin innovātus, past participle of innovāre “to renew, alter,” equivalent to in- intensive prefix + novātus, past participle of novā(re) “to renew,” verbal derivative of novus “new” + -tus past participle suffix); see in- 2, new
Explanation
Innovate means to bring something new to something. If you love cranberry seltzers, you might innovate by adding limeade or by making the drink with cran-raspberry juice instead. In our culture obsessed with finding the next new thing, the word innovate is very popular––behind every "new and improved" label slapped onto the packaging of some perfectly useful product is some eager beaver buried in the ranks of a company, scheming ways to innovate.
Vocabulary lists containing innovate
A Résumé of Active Words
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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.
See Examples For:
"We innovate every day to combat evolving threats, and we're committed to providing a safe and trusted platform for kids," the former Apple CEO said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026
The use of guidelines, though not legally binding, sets expectations while giving developers room to innovate, said National University of Singapore AI ethics lecturer Jonathan Sim.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
It means holding developers accountable for preventable harms while preserving their ability to innovate.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026
Lance Hastings, chief executive of the California Manufacturers & Technology Assn., said in a statement Friday that the governor’s veto protects “the ability of manufacturers to innovate and create here in California.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
Most of all, you would reward the Service or Agency who would innovate to provide efficiency.
From Shock and Awe — Achieving Rapid Dominance by James P. Wade
A Nike spokeswoman said that more diverse interests in China plays to Nike’s strengths as a company that innovates across sporting categories.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 12, 2026
From August 2025: Apple no longer innovates — it waits.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 21, 2026
Besson innovates with a subplot about Dracul’s foray into the world of perfume as he develops an intoxicating fragrance in Florence using French lavender, testing the potion on the pre-Revolution socialites in towering white-powdered wigs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 6, 2026
“Industry innovates and over-complies,” Duffy said, citing a 1970s EPA rule that required power plants to use sulfur dioxide scrubbers.
From Washington Times ● May 11, 2023
But in religion it is always the zealous sect which innovates, which progresses, and which has influence.
From The Life of Jesus by Ernest Renan
English football has innovated with RefCam with live audio this season, and publishing the transcript of the discussions between the VAR and the referee.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
But when the law required greater car safety, companies innovated to create technologies to make cars safer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026
In addition to focusing on its flagship Pepsi brand, the company has innovated in various ways as consumers become more interested in health and wellness.
From Barron's ● Mar. 5, 2026
Social media platforms innovated new ways to keep users scrolling.
From Salon ● Feb. 7, 2026
Tristan und Isolde is an out-and-out masterpiece, with sweeping, yearning themes, deserving of its place in music’s pantheon, whatever it may or may not have innovated.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
It believes the iPhone maker's current fees and charges are "blocking" financial technology firms and others from innovating and growing - and is consulting on proposals it believes would cause these fees to fall.
From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026
But U.S. companies are free to continue innovating in EVs, and fuel prices won’t remain high forever.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
"It is an attempt to just start experimenting a bit and innovating, with an event that will determine who really is the best of the best," Coe told BBC Sport.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
“It is during this period that leading companies find ways to differentiate themselves by innovating, delivering new and superior solutions, and driving durable growth. This is where PayPal needs to focus.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
The people felt that they were thus deprived of one of their inalienable privileges, and murmurs loud and angry rose against the innovating Austrian.
From Maria Antoinette Makers of History by John S. C. (John Stevens Cabot) Abbott
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
