innovation
noun
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What is the difference between innovation and invention?
The words innovation and invention overlap semantically but are really quite distinct.
Invention can refer to a type of musical composition, a falsehood, a discovery, or any product of the imagination. The sense of invention most likely to be confused with innovation is “a device, contrivance, or process originated after study and experiment,” usually something which has not previously been in existence.
Innovation, for its part, can refer to something new or to a change made to an existing product, idea, or field. One might say that the first telephone was an invention, the first cellular telephone either an invention or an innovation, and the first smartphone an innovation.
Synonyms
Examples of innovation in a Sentence
Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 May 2024
Cultivating a culture of innovation and networking, exhibitors and developers from various backgrounds share ideas and present ground-breaking products to a panel of expert judges.
—Tyler Shepherd, USA TODAY, 21 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for innovation 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'innovation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Innovation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/innovation. Accessed 25 May. 2024.
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innovation
noun
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