- to invent or begin to apply (methods, ideas, etc)
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
in•no•vate /ˈɪnəˌveɪt/USA pronunciation
v., -vat•ed, -vat•ing.
in•no•va•tion•al, adj.
in•no•va•tive, adj. See -nov-.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- to introduce something new;
make changes: [~ + on/in + object]to innovate on another's creation.[~ + object]to innovate a computer operating system.
in•no•va•tion•al, adj.
in•no•va•tive, adj. See -nov-.
in•no•vate
(in′ə vāt′),USA pronunciation v., -vat•ed, -vat•ing.
v.i.
v.t.
in′no•va′tor, n.
in′no•va•to′ry, adj.
v.i.
- to introduce something new;
make changes in anything established.
v.t.
- to introduce (something new) for or as if for the first time:to innovate a computer operating system.
- [Archaic.]to alter.
- Latin innovātus past participle of innovāre to renew, alter, equivalent. to in- in-2 + novātus (novā(re) to renew, verb, verbal derivative of novus new + -tus past participle suffix)
- 1540–50
in′no•va•to′ry, adj.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
innovate /ˈɪnəˌveɪt/ vb