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:
The creature then attempted to get back to the water, sparking swift action from police and Department of Conservation officials to make sure it did so unharmed.
From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026
Giger’s nightmarish vision to moviegoers, the creature still looks like nothing else in science fiction.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
A creature descends to Earth from a sleek spacecraft, still humanoid but far removed from its ancestor species Homo sapiens sapiens.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 22, 2026
The case goes to a congressional hearing, where Road Runner bursts into the room and becomes the only creature to testify on Coyote’s behalf.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026
Hopping up and down in one spot among the cotton grass was an equally white and furry creature.
From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el
But, as long as humans aren’t social creatures by nature, this should be fine, right?
From Slate ● Oct. 2, 2026
Others—depicting grinning clowns, crying women and morphing objects and creatures, including human figures potted like plants—recall children’s drawings and John Tenniel’s illustrations for “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
State wildlife officials have raised concerns about the potential impact of the quarry on bumblebees, desert bighorn sheep, golden eagles and other creatures.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2026
This is the sixth wave of the creatures in the nesting season, which started in March.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
Silently she slipped away to continue her chores in the fields and barnyard, among creatures far more manageable than three untamed Babushkawoos.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
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.
