innovation
Americannoun
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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
- innovational adjective
- innovationist noun
Etymology
Origin of innovation
First recorded in 1540–50; from Late Latin innovātiōn- (stem of innovātiō ); innovate, -ion
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.
“We’re very focused on the things that we believe are critical for future innovation and things that will differentiate our products over time,” he said.
Nowhere is this more apparent than in the rebuttal address by the opposition party, a modern innovation that is again a function of television.
Over the past five years, China has launched a massive program to build the world’s most powerful fusion science facilities for military applications and energy innovation.
But the flip side of the coin is that AI might restore competition and revive innovation within an economy that has steadily become more concentrated for decades.
From Barron's
Meanwhile, new AI coding tools have generated security concerns of their own, necessitating faster innovation from existing security providers.
From Barron's
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.