Creative

/kriˈeɪtɪv/

adjectiveIntermediate🔥Very CommonQuality
2 meanings1 idiom/phrase3 questions

Definitions

2 meanings
1

Characterized by the ability or power to create; marked by imagination and originality.

/kriˈeɪtɪv/

adjectivepositiveIntermediate
Quality

Having or showing imagination and originality.

She has a creative mind, always coming up with new ideas.

💡 Simply: Being creative is like having a superpower that lets you think up cool, new ideas and make things in a special way. Like, imagine a child building a unique tower out of blocks—that's creative!

👶 For kids: Making up new things or having lots of good ideas.

More Examples

2

The team needs a creative approach to solve this problem.

3

Creative writing helps students express themselves.

How It's Used

Art

"A creative artist uses imagination to produce works of art."

Business

"The company is looking for a creative solution to the problem."

2

Relating to or involving the use of the imagination or original ideas to produce something.

/kriˈeɪtɪv/

adjectiveneutralIntermediate
Process

Relating to or involving the use of the imagination or original ideas to create something.

The creative process can be challenging but rewarding.

💡 Simply: When something is creative, it means it has to do with making things up or designing things in a new way. Think of creative writing classes: they are all about using your imagination to write something new.

👶 For kids: Using your ideas and imagination to make or do something new.

More Examples

2

He is involved in the creative arts.

3

She took a creative writing class.

How It's Used

Advertising

"The creative department is responsible for developing advertising campaigns."

Design

"She works in the creative industry."

Tip:Consider the CREATIVE process in filmmaking.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Idioms & expressions

Creative Commons

A type of license that allows others to share, use, and build upon a work created by an artist or creator.

"Many websites use Creative Commons licenses for their content."

From Latin *creatus*, past participle of *creare* 'to create'. The word's usage evolved significantly during the Renaissance, emphasizing imaginative power and originality.

Initially used in the context of theological creation, the word broadened its scope significantly during the Renaissance, reflecting the rise of human imagination and artistic expression.

Memory tip

Think of a CREATOR who is very imaginative and CREATIVE.

Word Origin

LanguageLatin
Original meaning

"to create, to make"

creative thinkingcreative processcreative solutionscreative ideascreative writingcreative artscreative workcreative designhighly creativemore creative

Common misspellings

creativcreitivecreatviecreavtive

Usage

40%Spoken
60%Written