Invention refers to something invented. It commonly describes the act of inventing, the capacity to invent, and a small, self-contained composition, particularly those in J.S. Bach’s Two- and Three-part Inventions, which gives the term a broader and more practical sense than a single short definition would suggest. Depending on context, it can also point to the act of discovering or finding; the act of finding out; discovery, so the category can cover literal uses, related ideas, and more figurative extensions of the same core meaning. Taken together, these meanings present Invention as a flexible theme rather than a narrowly technical label, covering the central idea people usually mean when they use the word while still leaving room for closely related senses that appear in real language. Invention therefore works well as a quotation category because it can hold direct statements about the subject, figurative uses that borrow its meaning, and broader reflections that stay anchored to the same central idea. Invention is not limited to a single rigid definition in ordinary language, and that wider range is part of what makes the category useful for grouping related material without losing the term's main sense. When used as a theme, Invention can support serious, reflective, argumentative, or even playful quotations, provided the wording still connects back to the core idea described by the source definitions.
