invent

[ in-vent ]
See synonyms for: inventinventedinventing on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)
  1. to originate or create as a product of one's own ingenuity, experimentation, or contrivance: to invent the telegraph.

  2. to produce or create with the imagination: to invent a story.

  1. to make up or fabricate (something fictitious or false): to invent excuses.

  2. Archaic. to come upon; find.

Origin of invent

1
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”; see also come ) + -ed2

synonym study For invent

1. See discover.

Other words for invent

Other words from invent

  • in·vent·i·ble, in·vent·a·ble, adjective
  • out·in·vent, verb (used with object)
  • pre·in·vent, verb (used with object)
  • self-in·vent·ed, adjective
  • un·in·vent·ed, adjective
  • well-in·vent·ed, adjective

Words Nearby invent

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How to use invent in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for invent

invent

/ (ɪnˈvɛnt) /


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

  2. to make up (falsehoods); fabricate

Origin of invent

1
C15: from Latin invenīre to find, come upon, from in- ² + venīre to come

Derived forms of invent

  • inventible or inventable, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012