creature
Americannoun
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creatures
plural
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an animal, especially a nonhuman.
the creatures of the woods and fields; a creature from outer space.
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anything created, whether animate or inanimate.
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person; human being.
She is a charming creature. The driver of a bus is sometimes an irritable creature.
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an animate being.
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a person whose position or fortune is owed to someone or something and who continues under the control or influence of that person or thing.
The cardinal was a creature of Louis XI.
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Scot. and Older U.S. Use. Usually the creature intoxicating liquor, especially whiskey.
He drinks a bit of the creature before bedtime.
noun
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a living being, esp an animal
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something that has been created, whether animate or inanimate
a creature of the imagination
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a human being; person: used as a term of scorn, pity, or endearment
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a person who is dependent upon another; tool or puppet
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of creature
First recorded before 1250–1300; Middle English creature, from Late Latin creātūra “act of creating”; see create, -ure
Explanation
A creature is a living thing: there are flying creatures, sea creatures, and even imaginary creatures, like unicorns. Ever heard of a "creature feature"? That's a horror movie about weird scary creatures and other monsters. But you can call pretty much any living thing a creature. You'll find all kinds of creatures at the zoo, and maybe even a few lurking in your smelly gym shoes. Bears, bugs, birds, and bunnies are all creatures. When you see the word creature, think "It's alive!"
Vocabulary lists containing creature
Beowulf vocabulary
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"Frankenstein"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
A working dog from the Scottish Highlands has been named animal of the year by a charity for hunting down an invasive marine creature called the carpet sea squirt.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
The book shows a strange creature resembling a bunny with wings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026
Like Muse and Dots, Pickle agents appear customizable and cute: A promotional video showed off a purple creature with big, wide eyes named Gummy.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 3, 2026
"Whatever creature made these magnetofossils, we now know it was most likely capable of accurate navigation," said Professor Rich Harrison from Cambridge's Department of Earth Sciences, who co-led the research.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 2, 2026
It was good to have been able to help a living being in this place where friendship was forbidden, and even better to have freed a trapped creature.
From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo
Remarkably observant creatures, cats demonstrate “intelligence, insouciance and inscrutability,” along with a certain defiant streak.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
These creatures typically swim using tiny hair-like structures known as cilia, which move in coordinated patterns to propel them through water.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 8, 2026
Banknotes are getting a nature makeover - and the Bank of England has revealed the four creatures that will feature on our money.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
Stroll through the woods and encounter prehistoric scenes, luminous flowers, lantern art and a host of mythical creatures.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
In the case of these short, stout creatures, it is because of their explicit lack of cunning that they refuse to cower, no matter the size of the threat.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
