- 1 invent something to produce or design something that has not existed before Who invented the steam engine? I wish mobile phones had never been invented! Oxford Collocations Dictionary adverbpractically, virtually, single-handedly, … phrasesnewly invented See full entry
- 2 invent something to say or describe something that is not true, especially in order to trick people What excuse did he invent this time? Many children invent an imaginary friend. See related entries: Dishonest Word Originlate 15th cent. (in the sense ‘find out, discover’): from Latin invent- ‘contrived, discovered’, from the verb invenire, from in- ‘into’ + venire ‘come’.Extra examples He practically invented the modern stand-up comedy act. Pepys single-handedly invented the diary as a literary form. the newly invented automatic rifle He considered inventing some pretext for calling her. I did not have to invent any tales about my past. I wish television had never been invented! Louis Braille invented an alphabet to help blind people. The term ‘sociology’ was invented by Auguste Comte.
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BrE BrE//ɪnˈvent//; NAmE NAmE//ɪnˈvent//
Verb Forms present simple I / you / we / they invent BrE BrE//ɪnˈvent//; NAmE NAmE//ɪnˈvent//
he / she / it invents BrE BrE//ɪnˈvents//; NAmE NAmE//ɪnˈvents//
past simple invented BrE BrE//ɪnˈventɪd//; NAmE NAmE//ɪnˈventɪd//
past participle invented BrE BrE//ɪnˈventɪd//; NAmE NAmE//ɪnˈventɪd//
-ing form inventing BrE BrE//ɪnˈventɪŋ//; NAmE NAmE//ɪnˈventɪŋ//
DishonestCheck pronunciation: invent
