innovator
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of innovator
First recorded in 1590–1600; Late Latin innovātor, equivalent to Latin innovāt(us) + -or -or 2 ( def. ); innovate ( def. )
Explanation
Innovators innovate — that is, they create new ideas or ways of doing things. The Wright brothers were the ultimate innovators: they were the first to fly. The Unites States has a reputation as a country of innovators because, for generations, many of the world's most exciting new ideas came from its people and companies. Alexander Graham Bell, Henry Ford, Mark Zuckerberg: these are just three of the innovators who pioneered whole new technologies and industries. No one had thought the way they did before. Anyone who blazes a trail into new territory can be an innovator — athletes, artists, business people, and chefs, to name just a few.
Vocabulary lists containing innovator
"Democracy in America, Vol. 1" by Alexis de Tocqueville, Introduction–Chapter 5
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"Hip-Hop as Culture" and "I Am Somebody"
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Top Ten Most Relevant Words from Republican Presidential Candidates' Debate - Nov. 10, 2015
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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.
Ex-frontman Dave Bartram told the BBC Oakes was "an innovator and a fantastic asset to the band".
From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026
Lululemon got its start as an innovator in athletic apparel, designing leggings that were so flattering and comfortable that women wore them to the gym and just about everywhere else.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 22, 2026
His studios created some of the world's best-selling video games, and Zampella was considered an innovator in first-person military shooter style games.
From Barron's • Dec. 23, 2025
Through my work as a healthcare researcher and innovator, I directly see thousands of patients across the U.S. struggling to utilize the health-insurance system, which routinely fails them at the darkest moments in their lives.
From MarketWatch • Nov. 19, 2025
It was named after Robert Metcalfe, an electrical engineer and innovator who helped develop the Ethernet computing standard used to connect computers over short distances.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
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.
