Inventare

Inventare is an Italian verb meaning to invent. It denotes the act of creating something new or original, such as a device, method, idea, story, or technique. The term is widely used across disciplines, including science, technology, art, and everyday problem solving. The noun form is invenzione (invention).

Etymology and sense: Inventare derives from Latin inventare, from invenire “to find, come upon.” In Italian, the sense evolved toward contriving or devising something new rather than merely discovering it. The word is a regular first-conjugation verb, ending in -are.

Usage and grammar: As a transitive verb, inventare requires a direct object, for example: inventare una soluzione, inventare una storia. It follows the standard conjugation pattern of -are verbs. In the present indicative: io invento, tu inventi, lui/lei inventa, noi inventiamo, voi inventate, loro inventano. Common compound tenses use avere as an auxiliary, e.g., ho inventato; the imperfect is inventavo, and the subjunctive forms include inventi, inventi, inventi, inventiamo.

Related terms and distinctions: In everyday language, inventare is often contrasted with scoprire (to discover) and with invenzione or inventore (noun and agent forms). While inventing focuses on creation and design, invention emphasizes the resulting product or concept. The word is frequent in discussions of innovation, design processes, and storytelling, where the act of imagining something new is central.