creative

[ kree-ey-tiv ]

adjective

1. having the power to bring something new into being, as a creature, or to evolve something original from one’s own thought or imagination, as a work of art or invention: In the mythologies of the earliest human societies, the predominant ideas about which sex was more important in reproduction may have determined the sex assigned to the universal creative force.

   Research supports the claim that children are most creative in the early grades, before middle school.

   In the mythologies of the earliest human societies, the predominant ideas about which sex was more important in reproduction may have determined the sex assigned to the universal creative force.

2. resulting from originality of thought, expression, etc.; imaginative:

   creative writing.

3. originative; productive (usually followed by of ):

   Marx believed that labor alone was creative of value, not property ownership.

4. Facetious. using or creating exaggerated or skewed data, information, etc.:

   creative bookkeeping.

noun

1. the people who design and produce artwork, video, copy, etc., for a business, typically in service of advertising and other aspects of marketing:

   Creative really hit this one out of the park—we’ve doubled our conversion rate almost overnight.

2. material made for advertising and other aspects of marketing, as a billboard, video ad, or web page design, or the activity of designing and producing it:

   In our latest campaign for a luxury services client, we used an AI platform to fine-tune creative based on user behavior.

3. a person who is an artist, writer, designer, etc., typically one employed by a business to work in advertising or other aspects of marketing:

   You’ll have to hire at least one new senior-level creative to keep up with the client’s expansion plans.

creative

/ kriːˈeɪtɪv /

adjective

1. having the ability to create
2. characterized by originality of thought; having or showing imagination

   a creative mind

3. designed to or tending to stimulate the imagination

   creative toys

4. characterized by sophisticated bending of the rules or conventions

   creative accounting

noun

1. a creative person, esp one who devises advertising campaigns

Derived Forms

• creˈativeness, noun
• creˈatively, adverb
• ˌcreaˈtivity, noun

Other Words From

• cre·a·tive·ly adverb
• cre·a·tive·ness noun
• an·ti·cre·a·tive adjective
• an·ti·cre·a·tive·ly adverb
• an·ti·cre·a·tive·ness noun
• non·cre·a·tive adjective
• non·cre·a·tive·ly adverb
• non·cre·a·tive·ness noun
• sub·cre·a·tive adjective
• sub·cre·a·tive·ly adverb
• sub·cre·a·tive·ness noun
• un·cre·a·tive adjective
• un·cre·a·tive·ly adverb
• un·cre·a·tive·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of creative¹

First recorded in 1670–80; create + -ive

Example Sentences

“This court is allowing this thriving, lucrative market for licensed content for AI training to be taken away from Raw Story Media,” Peter Csathy, chairman of Creative Media, a Los Angeles entertainment and media marketing and consulting firm, told me.

From Los Angeles Times

It’s a bold creative choice that elevates the narrative, but it wasn’t even the most difficult aspect of making the film.

From Los Angeles Times

IndieCade architects, however, are pitching the festivities as a sort of creative rejuvenation.

From Los Angeles Times

“When the industry feels like it’s being shaken up, this is the heart — the creativity, the connection and the new ideas. These are the things that will most likely drive the industry forward. It’s going to be the innovations coming from unexpected places. That’s our mission. To bring people together to keep the creative spark going.”

From Los Angeles Times

Much of the creative team works at Moonbug’s office near the Grove in Los Angeles’ Fairfax district.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• gifted
• ingenious
• innovative
• inventive
• original
• productive
• prolific
• visionary