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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"How Do We Use Water?"
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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 team of veterinarians rushed to assist the visibly feeble creature, giving him water before carrying him away on a stretcher.
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
I found Infosys most interesting because, to my knowledge, there are no other IT or consulting firms with creature mascots like Leon the yeti.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
It was easy to identify the individual most responsible for bringing the creature into existence.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
This prehistoric creature has survived ice ages, the asteroid impact that killed the dinosaurs, and continental drift.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
“I have no time for your nonsense. This poor creature is in trouble.”
From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el
Notably, neither scavengers nor flies that fed on the supposedly poisoned carcasses have perished -- creatures that typically succumb after consuming poisoned animals.
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
Gen Zers are generally not the biggest creatures of the night and studies show they drink much less than their predecessors.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
The author of “Bitter Honey” on the big lives and surprising stories of tiny creatures.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
Taylor-Joy says she wanted to act after seeing the movie Free Willy and is drawn to otherworldly creatures.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
The air was filled with dragons —great beasts of power and majesty, creatures with jeweled eyes and burnished skins.
From "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher" by Bruce Coville
Definitions 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.
