invention

Compared meaning: a new idea, method, or thing that is created (noun).

比较义项：新颖的想法、方法或创造物（名词）。

• innovation

  Refers to a new idea, method, or improvement to how something is done; often abstract or process-related, and can describe an ongoing activity, not just a single object.

  指一种新想法、新方法或对做事方式的改进；较为抽象，常指一个持续的过程，而不仅仅是某一件具体物品。

  Her innovation in classroom teaching methods kept students far more engaged.

  她在课堂教学方法上的创新让学生们更加投入。

• invention 本词

  Refers to a specific new physical thing that someone creates, typically a device or tool; it names the object itself, not the ongoing process of improving something.

  指某人创造出来的一件具体的新事物，通常是装置或工具；强调的是那个具体的物品本身，而不是持续改进的过程。

  The washing machine was an invention that saved households countless hours.

  洗衣机是一项发明，为家庭节省了大量时间。

Innovation and invention both mean something new, but they differ. Innovation is abstract: a new idea, method, or improvement, often an ongoing activity. Invention is concrete: a specific new physical thing someone creates, like a device. The words are usually not interchangeable.

这两个词都表示“新出现的事物”，但侧重不同：innovation偏抽象，指新想法、新方法或对现有事物的改进，常用于描述持续的创新活动；invention偏具体，指被发明出来的实实在在的东西（装置、机器等），强调从无到有的创造。二者在句中通常不能互换。