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

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Translations to be checked

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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