creaturely

[ kree-cher-lee ]

adjective

1. creatural.

Other Words From

• creature·li·ness noun
• un·creature·ly adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of creaturely¹

First recorded in 1655–65; creature + -ly

Example Sentences

I delighted in each yellowed sentence: “The meat tasted of fire and suggested sacrifice. It carried a creaturely flavor; the smell of the stall, of the hide, was still there, and he had to suppress the unwanted feeling of animal intimacy that it gave him.”

From New York Times

When there are stunts and chases and close calls, you can bet they were shot practically — computer-generated effects not being available decades ago — or indulged in some kind of movie magic that feels, to some part of our creaturely brains, more real, more exciting.

From New York Times

“The word feral does not mean wild, but rewild, a creaturely life once free and then tamed, confined, and broken free again.”

From Washington Post

These bodies are bronzed and creaturely.

From New York Times

“He was trying to figure out what to do with the ego. You sometimes need it to become visible to yourself, and then you need to get out of it. He was often throwing off his ego and trying to get in touch with his creaturely self. His wildness, his feeling permeated by the whole physicality of the universe and being.”

From Seattle Times