invention

A2 Topic:Tools, Machines & Construction

US /ˌɪnˈvɛnʃən/ UK /ɪnˈvɛnʃən/ See IPA manual

Freq #6179

Meanings

1

noun
A new device or process that someone has created for the first time.

The wheel was an invention that changed human history.
2

noun
The act of creating something new.

The invention of the printing press spread knowledge across Europe.
3

noun
The ability to think of new and clever ideas.

It took a lot of invention to solve the puzzle.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a new device or process... innovation

More discovery

Word family

Forms inventions

Derived forms coinventioninnoventioninventioneerinventionisminventionistpreinventionreinventionuninvention

Related forms invent inventedinventionalinventive inventor reinvent

Appears in

Phrases (1)

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artistic invention
the imaginative creation of new forms or ideas in art

Adjective + noun

Proverbs (1)

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Necessity is the mother of invention

Simplified etymology

Invention entered English in the Middle Ages from Latin invenire, “to discover or come upon,” formed from in-, “into or upon,” and venire, “to come.” Its underlying sense was originally finding or discovering something rather than creating it.

Etymology

From Middle English invencion, invencioun, from Latin inventiō either directly or via Middle French invencion, from Latin invenīre (“to discover, find, invent”), from in- (“in-: in, into”) + venīre (“to come”). Doublet of inventio. By surface analysis, invent + -ion. Displaced native Old English orþanc.

invencion Middle English inventiō Latin inveniō Latin

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Topics

Tools, Machines & Construction

External links

# invention

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˌɪnˈvɛnʃən/
**IPA (UK):** /ɪnˈvɛnʃən/
**Frequency rank:** 6179

## Meanings
1. A new device or process that someone has created for the first time.
2. The act of creating something new.
3. The ability to think of new and clever ideas.

## Examples
- The wheel was an invention that changed human history.
- The invention of the printing press spread knowledge across Europe.
- It took a lot of invention to solve the puzzle.

## Synonyms
- discovery

## Derived Forms
- coinvention
- innovention
- inventioneer
- inventionism
- inventionist
- preinvention
- reinvention
- uninvention

## Related Forms
- invent
- invented
- inventional
- inventive
- inventor
- reinvent

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: invencion
- Root: inventiō
- Root: inveniō

## Etymology
From Middle English invencion, invencioun, from Latin inventiō either directly or via Middle French invencion, from Latin invenīre (“to discover, find, invent”), from in- (“in-: in, into”) + venīre (“to come”). Doublet of inventio. By surface analysis, invent + -ion. Displaced native Old English orþanc.

## AI Etymology
Invention comes from Middle English invencion, invencioun, from Latin inventiō either directly or via Middle French invencion, from Latin invenīre (“to discover, find, invent”), from in- (“in-: in, into”) + venīre (“to come”). Doublet of inventio. By surface analysis, invent + -ion. Displaced native Old English orþanc. The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern nominal form is built from the named base and affix. The historical line also includes inveniō.

## Topics
- Tools, Machines & Construction

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