innovation
Americannoun
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innovations
plural
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something new or different introduced.
numerous innovations in the high school curriculum.
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the act of innovating; introduction of new things or methods.
noun
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something newly introduced, such as a new method or device
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the act of innovating
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
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of innovation
First recorded in 1540–50; from Late Latin innovātiōn- (stem of innovātiō ); see origin at innovate, -ion
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.
Vocabulary lists containing innovation
Tier 2 Words for the SBAC ELA Items
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The Ingenious Lexicon of Invention
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Western Europe - Introductory
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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:
The phenomenon, he said, reflects the extraordinary returns to creativity and innovation, which research suggests can be bolstered by people working in proximity to one another and sharing ideas.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
“The latter two have not been emphasized in the Tim Cook era but AI could require Apple to move with a higher rate of change when the speed of innovation is accelerating,” Mohan added.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026
Even with innovation like that, petrol-powered machines are unlikely to disappear anytime soon, particularly for professional landscapers.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
"The Reset Plan focuses on prevention, moving services out of acute hospitals and closer to local communities, whole-system working, digital transformation, efficiency, and innovation."
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
One such technological innovation was the use of flat clay tablets as a convenient writing surface.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
Breakfast burritos in L.A. are canvases for individual creative expression, innovations that graft global cuisines or basic energy bombs to fuel the day.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
He added that the bill “will keep us ahead of China, keep us ahead of everyone else, will open the door to the next wave of innovations and innovators.”
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026
Later innovations introduced elements of narrative texture and tone, as when the question mark entered the repertoire over the eighth and ninth centuries.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Zbigniew Lewicki, Magnum's chief research, design & innovation officer says innovations like this aren't just a nice-to-have, they're crucial to the business' bottom line.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
Reflecting Lawrence’s lack of conceit when it came to engineering, the machine incorporated the latest innovations of cyclotroneers across the country in designs for transformers, power transmission, the oscillator, and the ion source.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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.
