inventive

English

Etymology

From Middle English inventif, inventyfe, inventiff, inventyf, borrowed from Old French inventif, borrowed from Medieval Latin inventivus. By surface analysis, invent +‎ -ive.

Pronunciation
  • enPR: ĭn-vĕnʹtĭv, IPA(key): /ɪnˈvɛntɪv/
  • Audio (Southern England)(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɛntɪv
  • Hyphenation: in‧ven‧tive

Adjective

inventive (comparative more inventive, superlative most inventive)

  1. Of, or relating to invention; pertaining to the act of devising new mechanisms or processes.
    an inventive pursuit
    • 2013 November 6, Chris Bevan, “Borussia Dortmund 0-1 Arsenal”, in BBC Sport:
      At the other end, Dortmund were producing some typically inventive approach play but struggled to find a way through the visitors' defence, and were unable to find a finish when they did.
  2. Possessed of a particular capacity for the design of new mechanisms or processes, creative or skilful at inventing.
    an inventive fellow
  3. Purposely fictive.
    an inventive story

Derived terms

Translations
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

French

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ɛ̃.vɑ̃.tiːv/[1]
  • Audio(file)

Adjective

inventive

  1. feminine singular of inventif

References
  1. “inventive”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Italian

Adjective

inventive

  1. feminine plural of inventivo

Noun

inventive f pl

  1. plural of inventiva
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