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

Chief executive Joe Bailey said: "We work within one of the most creative and dynamic industries in the UK and hope this event will be the catalyst for future careers."

From BBC

We get an opportunity to have conversations about creative storytelling that still stays on message for her.”

From Los Angeles Times

Bellamy has also instilled an exciting new style of play - bold and creative on the ball, tenacious and relentless out of possession.

From BBC

From classic Southern pecan pie to creative pumpkin blondies, Salon's food writers have shared their most beloved recipes to sweeten your holiday season.

From Salon

But the room was clearly thick with a lot of love and anticipation for Theophilio creative director Edvin Thompson’s always sensual, elegant and sometimes irreverent vision.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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