Meaning & use
innovative approach
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
A new, original, and creative way of dealing with a problem or doing a task.
Grammar: Countable; use 'an' before it. Often followed by 'to': 'an innovative approach to something'.
Patterns
- an innovative approach to something
- take an innovative approach
- adopt an innovative approach
The company took an innovative approach to customer service.
Her innovative approach to teaching made the class very popular.
We need an innovative approach to solve this problem.
Word forms
| plural | innovative approaches |
|---|
Common combinations
- take an innovative approach
- The school decided to take an innovative approach to language learning.
- innovative approach to a problem
- They found an innovative approach to reducing waste.
- adopt an innovative approach
- The government adopted an innovative approach to urban planning.
- develop an innovative approach
- Researchers are developing an innovative approach to cancer treatment.
Synonyms and how they differ
- novel approach
- More formal and emphasizes newness; 'innovative' also suggests creativity and improvement.
- fresh approach
- Less formal and often suggests a new way after previous methods failed; 'innovative' emphasizes originality.
Opposites
Word family
- innovate verb
- To introduce new ideas or methods.
- innovation noun
- A new idea, method, or product.
- innovatively adverb
- In a new and creative way.
Commonly confused: innovative approach or inventive approach?
innovative approach vs inventive approach
'Inventive' focuses on creating something completely new, while 'innovative' often means improving or modernizing something that already exists.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'innovative approach' correctly?
Choose one answer.
B is correct because the pattern is 'an innovative approach to something'. An is wrong because 'approach' is followed by 'to', not 'for'. C is wrong because 'on' is not used with 'approach' in this sense. D is wrong because a person cannot be an approach.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “innovative approach”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.