invent
invent Lexical Profile
invent Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To design, create, or produce something, such as a device, process, or system, that has not existed before.
"Alexander Graham Bell is widely credited with the effort to invent the first practical telephone."
To make up a false story, excuse, or name, typically in order to deceive others.
"He tried to invent a plausible excuse for missing the morning meeting."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse 'invent' (to design or create something that has never existed before, such as the telephone) with 'discover' (to find or become aware of something that already existed in nature, such as gravity or a planet).
• Rhymes for invent
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 15th century from Latin 'inventus', the past participle of 'invenire' ('to come upon, find, or devise'), formed from 'in-' ('into, upon') and 'venire' ('to come').