the act of inventing.

U.S. Patent Law . a new, useful process, machine, improvement, etc., that did not exist previously and that is recognized as the product of some unique intuition or genius, as distinguished from ordinary mechanical skill or craftsmanship.

anything invented or devised.

the power or faculty of inventing, devising, or originating.

an act or instance of creating or producing by exercise of the imagination, esp. in art, music, etc.

something fabricated, as a false statement.

Sociology . the creation of a new culture trait, pattern, etc.

Music . a short piece, contrapuntal in nature, generally based on one subject.

Rhetoric . (traditionally) one of the five steps in speech preparation, the process of choosing ideas appropriate to the subject, audience, and occasion.

Archaic . the act of finding.

noun

steal , truth

noun

apparatus , black box * , brainchild , coinage , concoction , contraption , contrivance , creativity , design , development , device , discovery , doodad * , gadget , genius , gimmick , gizmo * , imagination , ingenuity , innovation , inspiration , inventiveness , novelty , opus , original , originality , resourcefulness , deceit , fake , falsehood , fancy , fantasy , fib , fiction , figment , forgery , prevarication , sham * , story , tall story , untruth , yarn * , creativeness , ingeniousness , creation , idea , lie