creatine

American  

[kree-uh-teen, -tin] / ˈkri əˌtin, -tɪn /

noun

Biochemistry.

1. an amino acid, C 4 H 9 N 3 O 2 , that is a constituent of the muscles of vertebrates and is phosphorylated to store energy used for muscular contraction.

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creatine British  

/ -tɪn, ˈkriːətɪn, ˈkriːəˌtiːn /

noun

1. an important metabolite involved in many biochemical reactions and present in many types of living cells

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creatine Scientific  

/ krē′ə-tēn′,-tĭn /

1. A nitrogenous organic acid that is found in the muscle tissue of vertebrates, mainly combined with phosphorus, and that supplies energy for muscle contraction. Chemical formula: C ₄ H ₉ N ₃ O ₂ .

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Etymology

Origin of creatine

First recorded in 1830–40; creat- (from Greek kreat-, stem of kréas “flesh”) + -ine ² ( def. )

Compare meaning

How does creatine compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• creatine vs. creatinine

Example Sentences

They are not electrolyte tablets or a little preworkout creatine.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026

OpenEvidence doesn’t have my information, but its advice to take magnesium and creatine was consistent with suggestions from Perplexity and Claude.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026

He has recently touted creatine supplements and an AI calorie-tracking app.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2026

So I won’t buy a jump rope, and I won’t take creatine.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

Creatinine is produced from creatine with great facility; it exists in urine.

From The Chemistry of Food and Nutrition by Duncan, A. W.