creature

noun

crea·​ture ˈkrē-chər How to pronounce creature (audio)
1
: something created either animate or inanimate: such as
a
: a lower animal
especially : a farm animal
b
: a human being
c
: a being of anomalous or uncertain aspect or nature
creatures of fantasy
2
: one that is the servile dependent or tool of another : instrument
creatural adjective
creaturehood noun
creatureliness noun
creaturely adjective

Examples of creature in a Sentence

rabbits, squirrels, and other furry creatures Few living creatures can survive without water. a giant hairy apelike creature She's a creature of rare beauty. A social creature by nature, he loves working with people. The poor creature had no way to get home.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
And the hope is that this creature, who's all set up to create chaos and violence, somehow stops that and changes it all. Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Oct. 2025 The young girls are going back to their remote mountain village to take part in the perilous harvest of the yarsagumba, a rare creature, half mushroom, half insect, whose value exceeds that of gold. Annika Pham, Variety, 24 Oct. 2025 All the creature designs were customized to his face and body. Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 24 Oct. 2025 The clip then hints that the small town is anything but, with disappearances of children, creepy creatures and more lurking in its past and haunting the present. Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 24 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for creature

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed from Late Latin creātūra "act of bringing into being, something brought into being," from Latin creātus, past participle of creāre "to beget, give birth to, create entry 1" + -ūra

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of creature was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Creature.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/creature. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

creature

noun
crea·​ture ˈkrē-chər How to pronounce creature (audio)
1
: a created being
2
a
: a lower animal

More from Merriam-Webster on creature

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