An invention is something newly created. An intention is a plan or aim — what someone means to do. The invention of the telephone; I had no intention of staying. Invent and intend are the verbs underneath, and they never cross.
The core difference
- invention — something newly devised; the act of inventing; also a made-up story. A brilliant invention, the invention of printing, pure invention.
- intention — an aim or plan; what one means to do. Good intentions, with the intention of, no intention of apologising.
The tell
Invention belongs to invent and inventor; intention belongs to intend. Inside invention is vent, from the Latin for "come" — an invention is something you come upon. Inside intention is tent, from "stretch" — a mind stretched towards an aim. Nobody intends a telephone or invents an apology.
In use
- invention — Necessity is the mother of invention. The story was a complete invention.
- intention — She had every intention of paying. The road to ruin is paved with good intentions.
Common slips
- it was not my invention to offend → it was not my intention to offend
- the intention of the light bulb → the invention of the light bulb
Invent a thing; intend an act.
Where the words come from
Invention is from Latin invenire, "to come upon, to find" (in- + venire "to come") — an invention was first a discovery. Intention is from Latin intendere, "to stretch towards" (in- + tendere), the mind directed at a goal — the same root as intent and intense.
Frequently asked questions
Can invention mean a lie?
Yes — "pure invention" means wholly made up. It is the same idea: something devised rather than found.
What is the difference between intention and intent?
Intention is the everyday word; intent is formal and legal — "with intent to defraud". Both mean what someone means to do.
What is the verb behind invention?
Invent. Behind intention is intend.