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

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

innovation innovations

In the past several years, Meyer has been encouraged to see more companies such as Rainmaker bring innovation to an old industry.

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026

At a time when innovation and enterprise have never been so abundant, the companies that grow the most and the fastest still tend to outperform, according to James.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026

But European companies, fearing the rules would stifle innovation as they race to catch up with US and Chinese rivals, later won a delay on rules covering high-risk systems.

From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026

That is, Cole said, they pay “too much attention to their competitors and innovation coming from people who are trying to capture market share and not enough to real change coming from the outside.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

But its success is best understood not in terms of its curriculum, its teachers, its resources, or some kind of institutional innovation.

From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell

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 zones of economic power and influence in prior generations was closely tied to the widespread diffusion of leading technological innovations of the day, including telecommunications and electrification.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026

The Harvard Office of Technology Development is actively pursuing patent protection and commercialization opportunities for the innovations arising from this research.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 12, 2026

Chinese companies haven’t denied that they engage in distillation, but earlier this year, a Moonshot executive told local media that the company’s Kim K3 achieved “breakthrough performance” due to fundamental innovations, not distillation or copying.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026

Anyone knowledgeable about human societies can cite innumerable examples of societies that refused crops, livestock, and other innovations that would have been productive.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Related Words

• modernization