invent

A2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ɪnˈvɛnt/ See IPA manual

Freq #7712

Meanings

1

verb
To design or create something completely new for the first time.

Thomas Edison invented the light bulb.
2

verb
To make up a story or excuse that is not true.

He invented an excuse to explain why he was late.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to design or create... devise conceive

2 verb · to make up a story or... make up manufacture

More fangle

Word family

Forms inventedinventinginvents

Derived forms coinventdisinventinnoventinventableinventfulinventibleoutinventuninvent

Related forms discoverinventedinvention inventive inventor inventory reinvent

Etymology

From Middle English inventen, borrowed from Old French inventer, from Latin inventus, perfect passive participle of inveniō (“come upon, meet with, find, discover”), from in (“in, on”) + veniō (“come”); see venture. Compare advent, covent, event, prevent, etc. Displaced native Old English āþenċan (literally “to think out”).

*gʷem- Proto-Indo-European inventen Middle English inventer Old French inventus Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Cause, Change & Process

External links

# invent

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ɪnˈvɛnt/
**Frequency rank:** 7712

## Meanings
1. To design or create something completely new for the first time.
2. To make up a story or excuse that is not true.

## Examples
- Thomas Edison invented the light bulb.
- He invented an excuse to explain why he was late.

## Synonyms
- fangle

## Derived Forms
- coinvent
- disinvent
- innovent
- inventable
- inventful
- inventible
- outinvent
- uninvent

## Related Forms
- discover
- invented
- invention
- inventive
- inventor
- inventory
- reinvent

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *gʷem-
- Root: inventen
- Root: inventer
- Root: inventus

## Etymology
From Middle English inventen, borrowed from Old French inventer, from Latin inventus, perfect passive participle of inveniō (“come upon, meet with, find, discover”), from in (“in, on”) + veniō (“come”); see venture. Compare advent, covent, event, prevent, etc. Displaced native Old English āþenċan (literally “to think out”).

## AI Etymology
Invent comes from Middle English inventen, borrowed from Old French inventer, from Latin inventus, perfect passive participle of inveniō (“come upon, meet with, find, discover”), from in (“in, on”) + veniō (“come”); see venture. Compare advent, covent, event, prevent, etc. Displaced native Old English āþenċan (literally “to think out”). The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern verbal form is built from the named base and affix. The historical line also includes *gʷem-.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Cause, Change & Process

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invent

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