Invention
n.capable, hopefuleveryday
Meaning 1
A newly created device, method, or idea.
Reach for it when naming the original result of inventive work
Her invention lets wheelchair users reach high shelves without a motor.
Choose between these
4- everyday
device
the physical object and its function are all that matter
not when A device can use familiar technology and need not be an invention.
- warm
creation
the made result is praised broadly
not when Creation includes art and copies, so it does not establish novelty.
- professional
the invention crosses a major technical barrier
not when Breakthrough inflates a clever but incremental object.
- professional
successful application and useful change are central
not when Innovation may be a new use of an existing invention.
Meaning 2
The process or ability of creating something new.
Reach for it when praising original making as an activity or faculty
The workshop gave children time for invention before showing the standard design.
Choose between these
1- formal
the capacity for original creation is the subject
not when Inventiveness is a trait, while invention can mean the creative process itself.
Meaning 3
A story or claim made up rather than drawn from fact.
Reach for it when distinguishing fabrication from creative originality
The dramatic account was an invention added years after the voyage.
Choose between these
2- formal
fabrication
a knowingly false account is being identified
not when Fabrication can also mean physical manufacture and often sounds accusatory.
- literary
fiction
an openly imagined narrative is intended
not when Fiction is not deception when presented honestly as imaginative work.
Said against
3- imitation
- repetition
- fact
It naturally appears in
3- useful invention
The useful invention spread quickly because any village smith could repair it.
- patented invention
Her patented invention uses gravity rather than a pump.
- pure invention
The rumor about a hidden tunnel was pure invention.
Where this comes from
- Merriam-Webster, noun sense 1a: something invented opens in a new tab for meaning 1 · retrieved 2026-07-26
- Merriam-Webster, noun sense 1b: the act or process of inventing opens in a new tab for meaning 2 · retrieved 2026-07-26
- Merriam-Webster, noun sense 2: a false statement or story opens in a new tab for meaning 3 · retrieved 2026-07-26
The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.