The term Muppet was invented by Jim Henson at the beginning of his career to describe his puppet act. It is sometimes claimed, and refuted, that Henson created the term as a combination of the words marionette and puppet. Henson used the Muppet name to define the characters in his productions, and to distinguish his act from those of other puppeteers. Following the development of various projects over the years, and ownership changes for some characters, the term has seen a shift in the way it has been used by official parties, and its perception in popular culture. __TOC__