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 Researchers from Macquarie University found that by eating mice and rats, snakes’ benefits to farmers far outweigh the potential costs of having a venomous creature on site. Natasha Frost David Maurice Smith, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2024 Scientists discover 100 potential new deep-sea species Around 100 potential marine species were discovered near New Zealand — including one mystery creature. Alexandra Banner, CNN, 12 Mar. 2024 The tiny sea creatures are no bigger than a pinky fingernail. Morgan Haefner, Quartz, 12 Mar. 2024 The police search for a serial murderer, while locals harbor suspicions that a mythical, leopard-like creature is responsible for the disappearances. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 Mar. 2024 Godzilla Minus One is a period film that takes the giant kaiju back to his roots, showing the creature emerging just as Japan is struggling to recover from the ravages of World War II. Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Mar. 2024 Find out which familiar sitcom stars, Academy Award winners, voice actors, and more play the collection of sea creatures (and a pelican) who inhabit this colorful Pixar flick. Madeline Boardman, EW.com, 11 Mar. 2024 Sailfish are gorgeous creatures, with their sweeping dorsal fins and striped, colorful sides that light up in blue, golden, and purple hues. Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 29 Feb. 2024 The third-person shooter was so popular that some players couldn’t initially access the game’s overwhelmed servers to log on and start dealing damage to the monstrous space creatures that inhabit the game’s planets. Kalhan Rosenblatt, NBC News, 28 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'creature.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near creature

Cite this Entry

“Creature.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/creature. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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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