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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:

“These are areas where Applied has strong leadership positions and an innovative pipeline of next generation solutions, supporting strong revenue and margin growth in 2027 and beyond,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 13, 2026

Sovaldi was a truly amazing breakthrough, and we want the biotech and pharmacy industry to continue its impressive track record of pursuing innovative new therapeutics.

From MarketWatch Aug. 13, 2026

Okuda took the reins of the struggling firm in 1995 as the first person from outside the founding family in decades, and pushed innovative products such as the RAV4 and Prius.

From Barron's Aug. 12, 2026

“Generative AI is the next step, and we believe it would be irresponsible not to use every lawful, ethical, and innovative tool to communicate with California voters.”

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 11, 2026

With the publication of his novels The Time Machine and The Island of Doctor Moreau in the mid-1890s, he became known for his innovative scientific romances, today known as science fiction.

From "Spooked!" by Gail Jarrow

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