innovative
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of innovative
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.
Vocabulary lists containing innovative
Brand Spankin' New: Words with Neo- and Nov-
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "I"
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Mardi Gras: Fun
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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.
"People often think of neutrons as tools for studying batteries or advanced materials, but they're just as innovative for answering questions about ancient life," said Hassina Bilheux, lead instrument scientist for VENUS.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 24, 2026
And L.A. fans have an opportunity to watch our two brilliant, innovative, dynamic coaches display their talent … hmmm.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
He set out to use the firm’s commodity-chemical sales to finance what Mr. Werth calls “a more innovative organization for discovering new products.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
Rather than keeping to an established formula, the Ultimate Championship was a bold, innovative undertaking - and it is hoped it can exist as a testing ground to help shape the sport's future.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
Up until then humans had displayed some innovative adaptations and behaviours, but their effect on their environment had been negligible.
From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari
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.
