inventive

EnglishEdit

EtymologyEdit

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

PronunciationEdit

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

AdjectiveEdit

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, Chris Bevan, "Borussia Dortmund 0-1 Arsenal", BBC Sport, 6 November 2013:
      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. Purposefully fictive
    an inventive story

Derived termsEdit

TranslationsEdit

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

FrenchEdit

PronunciationEdit

AdjectiveEdit

inventive

  1. feminine singular of inventif

ReferencesEdit

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

ItalianEdit

AdjectiveEdit

inventive

  1. feminine plural of inventivo

NounEdit

inventive f pl

  1. plural of inventiva