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:
The name originated from a nickname her husband gave her — an adorable little creature, yet one that still wields its horns.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 9, 2026
The aesthetics of the character were developed by creature artist Mark Villalobos.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026
Recycle: Our car’s Prestige package bundled much of the upgraded creature comforts, including nappa-leather upholstered sport seats; a Bang & Olufsen 3-D sound system; and panoramic roof glass with variable light control.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2026
Described in a study published in Nature, the crow-sized creature provides evidence that early bird evolution was much more complex than scientists once believed.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 24, 2026
Cold flowed from it: an acrid uprush of air like the breath of some ancient creature that has never seen the sun.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
Although scientists have long believed that the evolution of necks gave these pioneering creatures greater freedom to look around, new research suggests their necks were actually remarkably stiff.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 11, 2026
Alone, with no human company, he thought of nearby creatures as his little crew.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
"It's important that these creatures get back into the wild and they survive and thrive into the future," he told BBC News NI in June, after she left the aquarium.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
Far from fitting the outdated stereotype of Neanderthals as simple, brutal creatures, Shanidar A provides rare physical evidence of a society capable of both deadly violence and sustained compassion.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 31, 2026
I dare to look up, only to see at least forty creatures in the branches above us, whistling and crying.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
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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.
