innovatory
B2Pronunciation
UK
- /ˈɪnəvətərˌi/
US
- /ˈɪnəvətˌɔːri/
Description
- introducing new ideas
- new and inventive
- pioneering
- forward-looking
The word "innovatory" describes something that brings in new ideas, methods, or ways of doing things. It often appears in formal writing, especially in academic, technical, or business contexts. You might call a research project innovatory if it solves a problem in a fresh way, or describe a company policy as innovatory if it changes an old system for the better. The word is close in meaning to "innovative," but it is much less common and often sounds more formal.
"Innovatory" is a formal and fairly uncommon adjective that means introducing new ideas, methods, or changes. It is very close in meaning to "innovative," and in many sentences the two words can be swapped without much difference. Still, "innovatory" often appears in more formal writing, where the writer wants to stress that something brings in a new approach or marks a clear step away from older practice.
You are most likely to meet "innovatory" in discussions of research, education, technology, policy, design, or the arts. For example, a university might be praised for an innovatory teaching model, a lab for its innovatory methods, or a company for an innovatory product strategy. In each case, the idea is not simply that something is modern, but that it introduces a fresh way of thinking or working.
The word has been more common in British English than in American English, though even there it is much less frequent than "innovative." Because of that, it can sound slightly specialized or academic. In everyday conversation, most people would choose "innovative" instead. But in formal description, "innovatory" can still be useful when you want to highlight a genuinely new method, system, or idea.
So the safest way to understand "innovatory" is this: it describes something that introduces worthwhile new ideas or practices. It does not have to mean the very first of its kind, and it is not sharply separate from "innovative." It simply carries a more formal tone and is often used when the writer wants to underline the new and change-making character of a person, project, method, or achievement.
Examples
- 1
Local history
The museum won praise for its innovatory approach to local history.
Pattern
innovatory approach to + topic/problem
a new and original way of dealing with it
- 2
Housing policy
The government is looking for innovatory solutions to the housing shortage.
- 3
Recycled materials
Her work was admired for its innovatory use of recycled materials.
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- innovatory