innovation

Borrowed from Middle French innovation, from Old French innovacion, from Late Latin innovatio, innovationem, from Latin innovo, innovatus.

• IPA^(key): /ˌɪnəˈveɪʃən/
• Rhymes: -eɪʃən

innovation (countable and uncountable, plural innovations)

1. The act of innovating; the introduction of something new, in customs, rites, etc.
   • 2013 June 21, Karen McVeigh, “US rules human genes can't be patented”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 2, page 10:

     The US supreme court has ruled unanimously that natural human genes cannot be patented, a decision that scientists and civil rights campaigners said removed a major barrier to patient care and medical innovation.

   • 1954, Peter Drucker, The Landmarks of Tomorrow:

     Innovation is more than a new method. It is a new view of the universe, as one of risk rather than of chance or of certainty. It is a new view of man's role in the universe; he creates order by taking risks. And this means that innovation, rather than being an assertion of human power, is an acceptance of human responsibility.

2. A change effected by innovating; a change in customs

   The others, whose time had been more actively employed, began to shew symptoms of innovation,—"the good wine did its good office." The frost of etiquette, and pride of birth, began to give way before the genial blessings of this benign constellation, and the formal appellatives with which the three dignitaries had hitherto addressed each other, were now familiarly abbreviated into Tully, Bally, and Killie. ― Sir Walter Scott, Waverley, ch. xi.

3. Something new, and contrary to established customs, manners, or rites.
4. A newly formed shoot, or the annually produced addition to the stems of many mosses.

From Middle French innovation, from Old French innovacion, borrowed from Late Latin innovatio, innovationem, from Latin innovo, innovatus.

• IPA^(key): /i.nɔ.va.sjɔ̃/

innovation f (plural innovations)

1. innovation

• innover
• innovateur

• “innovation” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

innovation c

1. innovation

• innovativ
• innovatör
• innovera

• innovation in Svenska Akademiens ordlista över svenska språket (13th ed., online)