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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:

Tokenized trading will also support traded companies seeking innovative ways to reach investors, while also easing the movement of assets between different corners of the market and minimizing “isolated pools of liquidity,” the exchange said.

From The Wall Street Journal Sep. 1, 2026

Ultimately, Nvidia might be just another AT&T — a company with such an innovative product, it just can’t lose.

From MarketWatch Aug. 27, 2026

Industries such as fashion are more obviously creative, but being able to think differently and come up with an innovative solution isn't confined to one type of work.

From BBC Aug. 26, 2026

The authors enthused that the partnership "showcased how innovative approaches, even involving unconventional collaborators, can revolutionize oceanographic research."

From Barron's Aug. 26, 2026

His personal charisma and innovative strategies won many battles, but as early as the fall of 1965 Fuller had already realized the need for a new organization, one less hamstrung by federal and local bureaucracies.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson

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