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Synonyms

innovative

American  
[in-uh-vey-tiv] / ˈɪn əˌveɪ tɪv /
especially British, innovatory

adjective

  1. tending to innovate, or introduce something new or different; characterized by innovation.


innovative British  
/ ˈɪnəˌveɪtɪv /

adjective

  1. using or showing new methods, ideas, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of innovative

First recorded in 1600–10; innovate + -ive

Explanation

Something innovative is new and original. If you love to experiment and find new ways to do things, you are an innovative person. Innovative, like nova, novel, and novice, comes from the Latin novus, which means new. Something innovative renews or alters the way something has been done. You can use innovative to describe the thing or the person that made it. If your English teacher objects to your experimental writing style, tell him, "I'm an innovative writer making innovative sentences!" Antonyms are unoriginal and hackneyed.

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Vocabulary lists containing innovative

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:

In April 2027, UChicago Medicine will open the AbbVie Foundation Cancer Pavilion, Chicago's first freestanding cancer pavilion, to bring advanced diagnostics, innovative treatments, translational discoveries, and comprehensive support to patients and the community.

From Science Daily Aug. 19, 2026

"Today, Elwood and I lost a great friend and collaborator, and the world lost one of the most naturally innovative drummers and a great and true son of Texas," Gibbons said.

From BBC Aug. 18, 2026

Her love of acting informed her innovative choreography, which emphasized character development.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 17, 2026

This would continue to provide companies strong financial incentives to discover new, innovative therapies, while also ensuring that pricing is tied to objectively measurable value.

From MarketWatch Aug. 13, 2026

In the early 20th century, Carl Orff met gymnastics and dance educator Dorothée Gunther and established an innovative school for children based on the idea that all human beings are musical by nature.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

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