invent

[in-vent]

verb (used with object)

1. to originate or create as a product of one's own ingenuity, experimentation, or contrivance.

   to invent the telegraph.

   Synonyms: contrive, devise

2. to produce or create with the imagination.

   to invent a story.

   Synonyms: conceive, imagine

3. to make up or fabricate (something fictitious or false).

   to invent excuses.

   Synonyms: concoct

4. Archaic.,  to come upon; find.

invent

/ ɪnˈvɛnt /

verb

1. to create or devise (new ideas, machines, etc)

2. to make up (falsehoods); fabricate

Other Word Forms

• inventible adjective
• inventable adjective
• outinvent verb (used with object)
• preinvent verb (used with object)
• self-invented adjective
• uninvented adjective
• well-invented adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of invent¹

First recorded in 1425–75; back formation from late Middle English invented (past participle) “found, discovered,” from Latin invent(us) “encountered” (past participle of invenīre “to come upon, encounter, find,” from in- in- ² + venīre “to come”; come ) + -ed ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of invent¹

C15: from Latin invenīre to find, come upon, from _in- ² + venīre to come

Synonym Study

See discover.

Example Sentences

The Academy Museum is opening its largest single-film show yet, collecting props and artifacts from a movie that invented the summer blockbuster as we know it.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Credo invented the AEC, which is a copper-based cable used to attach AI servers to networking switches.

Read more on Barron's

Now, with Beagle and Barker, two more have come forward to allege they were told to invent the stories that led to their lawsuits.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

“From Dillard & Clark to the Burritos, to the Eagles, he actually helped invent a genre.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

There aren't many musicians whose sound is so distinctive and influential that the music industry invents a whole new genre to describe it.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• bear 
• come up with 
• conceive 
• design 
• devise 
• discover 
• dream up 
• envision 
• fashion 
• find 
• forge 
• formulate 
• initiate 
• originate 
• produce