different between inventive vs inventory

English

Etymology

From Middle English inventif, inventyfe, inventiff, inventyf, borrowed from Old French inventif, borrowed from Medieval Latin inventivus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?n?v?nt?v/
• Rhymes: -?nt?v

Adjective

inventive (comparative more inventive, superlative most inventive)

1. Of, or relating to invention; pertaining to the act of devising new mechanisms or processes.
   • 2013, Chris Bevan, "Borussia Dortmund 0-1 Arsenal", BBC Sport, 6 November 2013:

     At the other end, Dortmund were producing some typically inventive approach play but struggled to find a way through the visitors' defence, and were unable to find a finish when they did.

2. Possessed of a particular capacity for the design of new mechanisms or processes, creative or skilful at inventing.

3. Purposefully fictive

Derived terms

• inventively
• inventiveness

Translations

French

Adjective

inventive

1. feminine singular of inventif

Italian

Adjective

inventive

1. feminine plural of inventivo

Noun

inventive f pl

1. plural of inventiva

English

Etymology

From Middle English inventorie, from Old French inventoire (whence French inventaire), from Late Latin inventarium, from Latin invenire (“to find out”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /??n.v?n.t?i/, /?n?v?n.t?.?i/
• (US) IPA^(key): /??n.v?n?t?.?i/

Noun

inventory (plural inventories)

1. (operations) The stock of an item on hand at a particular location or business.

   Due to an undersized inventory at the Boston outlet, customers had to travel to Providence to find the item.

2. (operations) A detailed list of all of the items on hand.

   The inventory included several items that one wouldn't normally think to find at a cheese shop.

3. (operations) The process of producing or updating such a list.

   This month's inventory took nearly three days.

4. (role-playing games) A space containing the items available to a character for immediate use.

   You can't get through the underground tunnel if there are more than three items in your inventory.

5. (linguistics, especially phonology) The total set of a (specified) linguistic feature (within a language etc.)

   Germanic languages have a marked tendency towards large vocalic inventories.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:list

Related terms

• invent
• invented
• inventive
• invention
• inventor
• reinvent

Translations

Verb

inventory (third-person singular simple present inventories, present participle inventorying, simple past and past participle inventoried)

1. (transitive, operations) To take stock of the resources or items on hand; to produce an inventory.

   The main job of the night shift was to inventory the store, and restock when necessary.

Synonyms

• index
• inventorize
• take inventory
• take stock

Translations

Further reading

• inventory in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• inventory in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.