in ‧ vent /ɪnˈvent/ BrE AmE verb [transitive]
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ invention , ↑ inventiveness , ↑ inventor ; verb : ↑ invent , ↑ reinvent ; adverb : ↑ inventively ; adjective : ↑ inventive ]
[ Date: 1400-1500 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: past participle of invenire 'to come upon, find' , from venire 'to come' ]
1 . to make, design, or think of a new type of thing:
Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in 1876.
► Do not confuse with discover (=to be the first person to find something or to know that it exists) : Scientists have discovered a new type of bacteria.
2 . to think of an idea, story etc that is not true, usually in order to deceive people:
They invented a very convincing alibi.
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THESAURUS
▪ invent to think of an idea for a new product, machine etc, and design it or make it:
The telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell.
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Who invented the Internet?
▪ create to make or design something new and original:
We decided to create the software ourselves.
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For her latest book, she has created a whole new group of characters.
▪ think of something/think up something to produce a new idea, plan, method, excuse etc by thinking:
I’ve thought of an idea.
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They’re always trying to think up new ways to improve efficiency.
▪ come up with something to produce a new idea, a way of dealing with something etc, especially a good one:
How did you come up with that idea?
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Ellis came up with the solution to the problem immediately.
▪ make something up to invent a story, song, game, excuse etc:
My mother used to make up bedtime stories for us.
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I didn’t want to go to the class, so I decided to make up an excuse.
▪ dream something up to think of an idea or plan, especially one that seems unusual or even crazy:
It can’t be easy dreaming up new advertisements all the time.
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I wonder who dreamt up that idea!
▪ devise formal to invent a way of doing something, especially one that is clever or complicated:
This system was devised as a way of measuring students’ progress.
▪ conceive formal to think of a new idea, plan etc and develop it in your mind:
The project was originally conceived by a Dutch businessman two years ago.