innovation

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   The act of innovating; the introduction of something new, in customs, rites, etc.

   The US supreme court has ruled unanimously that natural human genes cannot be patented, a decision that scientists and civil rights campaigners said removed a major barrier to patient care and medical innovation. […] He said there would be "considerable danger" that without such an exception, the granting of patent would "tie up" the use of such tools and future innovation based on them.

2. 2
   noun

   A change effected by innovating; a change in customs.

   The others, whose time had been more actively employed, began to shew symptoms of innovation,—"the good wine did its good office." The frost of etiquette, and pride of birth, began to give way before the genial blessings of this benign constellation, and the formal appellatives with which the three dignitaries had hitherto addressed each other, were now familiarly abbreviated into Tully, Bally, and Killie.

3. 3
   noun

   Something new, and contrary to established customs, manners, or rites.

   One of the remarkable innovations in concrete technology is the development of self-healing cementitious materials through the incorporation of bacterial agents.

4. 4
   noun

   the act of starting something for the first time

5. 5
   noun

   a creation (a new device or process) resulting from study and experimentation

6. 6
   noun

   the creation of something in the mind

7. 7
   noun

   A newly formed shoot, or the annually produced addition to the stems of many mosses.

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French innovation, from Old French innovacion, from Late Latin innovatio, innovationem, from Latin innovo, innovatus. Morphologically innovate + -ion.