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 byof ).

   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

Other Word Forms

• creatively adverb
• creativeness noun
• anticreative adjective
• anticreatively adverb
• anticreativeness noun
• noncreative adjective
• noncreatively adverb
• noncreativeness noun
• subcreative adjective
• subcreatively adverb
• subcreativeness noun
• uncreative adjective
• uncreatively adverb
• uncreativeness noun
• creativity noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of creative¹

First recorded in 1670–80; create + -ive

Example Sentences

The local theatre and performance group have been committed to carrying the rural custom of "mumming" or "rhyming" into the 21st century, and in doing so caught the attention of McQueen's creative director, Seán McGirr.

Read more on BBC

Keyes also says that the creative process was a factor in Eric’s exit, yet it led to the creation of the most canonical songs on the album.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Natalia Bryant has made her debut as a creative director with a short film that features a subject matter with which she’s very familiar.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

“Their groundbreaking albums and chart-topping hits challenged industry norms and established the ‘Dirty South’ as a powerful creative force,” the institution previously wrote of the Georgia-born duo on Instagram.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

“Silencing individual creative artists based on their nationality does not promote better understanding or advance the cause of peace.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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