creative

1 of 2

adjective

cre·​a·​tive krē-ˈā-tiv How to pronounce creative (audio)
ˈkrē-ˌā-
1
: marked by the ability or power to create : given to creating
the creative impulse
a creative genius
2
: having the quality of something created rather than imitated : imaginative
the creative arts
creative writing
3
: managed so as to get around legal or conventional limits
creative financing
also : deceptively arranged so as to conceal or defraud
creative accounting
creatively adverb
creativeness noun

creative

2 of 2

noun

1
: one who is creative
especially : one involved in the creation of advertisements
2
: creative activity or the material produced by it especially in advertising

Examples of creative in a Sentence

Adjective She's a very creative person. She has one of the most creative minds in the business. They've come up with some creative new ways to make money. a creative solution to a difficult problem He teaches creative writing at the university. the first step in the creative process It turns out that the company's report of record profits last year was due to some creative accounting.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
By championing smaller-budget projects and nurturing emerging talents, Hollywood can foster a more dynamic and inclusive creative landscape, ultimately enriching the industry as a whole. Clayton Davis, Variety, 11 Mar. 2024 The guidebook, with 78 unique creative prompts, is our nudge for everyone to explore the primacy of their imagination, artist or not, and to also encourage taking their creativity offline and interacting with the physical world in new and perspective-shifting ways. Jennifer Sodini, Rolling Stone, 11 Mar. 2024 Some office owners have taken creative approaches to incentivize workers to work in the office. Corina Vanek, The Arizona Republic, 11 Mar. 2024 Perhaps the differentiator, though, is that Intuit still believes there’s a place for humans in a world where AI is rapidly becoming capable of taking over everything from the mundane to the creative. Alyssa Newcomb, Fortune, 11 Mar. 2024 Thus began a creative brotherhood and friendship that would span over two decades, across many countries, and over several albums. Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 11 Mar. 2024 Many of the creative ideas originated with Gosling and director Greta Gerwig, including the decision to reference the Marilyn Monroe film, with Gosling speaking out about including his co-stars and the cameraman in the performance. Caitlin Huston, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Mar. 2024 Recipes are built around both Blais’ creative food style, with approachable recipes for zucchini fritters, eggplant and chickpea samosas, jerk cauliflower steaks and a blended mushroom burger. Kate Bradshaw, The Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2024 In an organization, leaders must play the same role, guiding their teams towards innovative goals with a steady hand and a creative eye. Sherzod Odilov, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024
Noun
New York’s Artist Buildings: Generations of creatives once flocked to the city seeking affordable rent. Mark Harris Rf. Alvarez, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2024 Now, as more original YouTube creatives start to think about a life outside of filming 24/7, Kollman is hopeful that others can use Patrick’s path as a way to pass the torch to younger generations. Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 9 Mar. 2024 The same is true for Latinx creatives: only five of the top films featured Latinx leads, and of the four Latinx writers and four Latinx directors ranking in the top 200, none were women. Angelique Jackson, Variety, 7 Mar. 2024 And that’s the case for a lot of Black writers and creatives. Jason Parham, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2024 Having this type of exchange between creatives is essential. Billboard Italy, Billboard, 6 Mar. 2024 Although the creatives could sign up on the website, companies couldn’t post on the job board. Cheryl Robinson, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 Executives and creatives offered some insight as to what has triggered this resurgence. Christi Carras, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2024 Was there any special psychological or other support to ensure a safe and free space for all the creatives? Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'creative.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

borrowed from Medieval Latin creātīvus, from Latin creātus, past participle of creāre "to beget, give birth to, create entry 1" + -īvus -ive

Noun

derivative of creative entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1678, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1938, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of creative was in 1678

Dictionary Entries Near creative

Cite this Entry

“Creative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/creative. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

creative

adjective
cre·​ative
krē-ˈāt-iv
1
: able to create especially new and original things
2
: showing or requiring imagination
creative writing
creatively adverb
creativeness noun
creativity
ˌkrē-ā-ˈtiv-ət-ē
ˌkrē-ə-
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on creative

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