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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:

Previously, Julia served as a special projects editor at Yahoo News, where she focused on innovative digital storytelling and audience development.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 22, 2026

The most innovative device unveiled Wednesday is the Galaxy Z Fold8.

From Barron's Jul. 22, 2026

If that were an innovative idea, we’d have been worshipping at the heels of last year’s equally topical yet no less trite sci-fi horror “Companion.”

From Salon Jul. 22, 2026

His arrival in government was greeted with much fanfare by some in the Labour Party and described as "radical" and "innovative".

From BBC Jul. 20, 2026

The masks Picasso saw—expressive, sharply featured, wholly new—were in fact recent works of art, and they were brilliantly innovative.

From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day

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