creature

noun

crea·​ture ˈkrē-chər 

1

: something created either animate or inanimate: such as

a

: an animal that is not a human being

wild creatures of the forest

b

: a human being

He's a social creature.

The poor creature has had a hard life.

I'm a creature of habit; I like my routine.

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

ˈkrē-chə-rəl 

adjective

creaturehood

ˈkrē-chər-ˌhu̇d 

noun

creatureliness

ˈkrē-chər-lē-nəs 

noun

creaturely

ˈkrē-chər-lē 

adjective

Synonyms of creature

• animal

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

After environmentalists advocated for protecting these unique creatures, the nuclear-weapons manufacturing on their site was halted. — Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 2 Oct. 2026

Billions of minuscule creatures, after all, agitate the waterways of the world. — Stephen Ornes, Quanta Magazine, 2 Oct. 2026

While most long-bodied marine creatures swim like eels by flexing their whole bodies, the oarfish remains almost perfectly still. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2026

Stroll through the woods and encounter prehistoric scenes, luminous flowers, lantern art and a host of mythical creatures. — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026

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

Phrases Containing creature

• creature comfort

Rhymes for creature

• bleacher
• feature
• preacher
• reacher
• teacher
• schoolteacher

Kids Definition

creature

noun

crea·​ture ˈkrē-chər 

1

: a created being

2

a

: a lower animal

b

: individual sense 2