The Greek noun epheuretēs (ἐφευρετής) means inventor, contriver, deviser. It appears once in the NT — Romans 1:30 — in Paul's catalogue of sins characterizing those who suppress the truth. The word derives from epheuriskō (to find out, discover), with the -tēs suffix indicating an agent. In its sole NT occurrence, it is paired with kakōn (evil things): 'inventors of evil.'
In Romans 1:28–32, Paul describes the downward spiral of humanity that has exchanged the truth of God for a lie. The term epheuretēs kakōn — 'inventors of evil' — appears in a devastating list alongside arrogance, heartlessness, and disobedience to parents. The word implies not merely passive participation in sin but active, creative ingenuity in devising new forms of wickedness. It is the perversion of the human gift of creativity — the image of God turned against its Maker.