generative

adjective

gen·​er·​a·​tive ˈje-nə-rə-tiv 

ˈjen-rə-tiv, 

ˈje-nə-ˌrā-tiv 

: having the power or function of generating, originating, producing, or reproducing

… Elizabeth Gilbert dives into her own generative process to share her wisdom and unique perspective about creativity.

—Camryn La Sala

… her gift is essentially organizational rather than generative.

—Martin Filler

: such as

a

biology : of or relating to the production of offspring

vegetative and generative plant growth

the generative organs of mammals

see also generative cell, generative nucleus

b

computing : using artificial intelligence algorithms to create complete units of content (such as text compositions, images, audio, or video) based on a broad corpus of material

The newest models also come with AI integration that allows them to summarize text with generative technology.

—Cody D. Campbell

see also generative AI

Examples of generative in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The emergence of powerful generative artificial intelligence also added a new wrinkle for employers looking to boost productivity and rein in costs in a high-interest-rate environment. —Allie Canal, NBC news, 9 Jan. 2026

Magouyrk and Sicilia have been working to rapidly open data centers full of Nvidia graphics processing units that can run generative artificial intelligence models on behalf of clients such as OpenAI and xAI. —Jordan Novet, CNBC, 9 Jan. 2026

Building on that foundation, the companies plan to advance toward generative simulation using NVIDIA PhysicsNeMo and open models. —Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 6 Jan. 2026

The emergence of synthetic media and generative artificial intelligence has accelerated this fragmentation. —Klaus Schwab, Time, 5 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing generative

• generative AI
• generative artificial intelligence
• generative cell
• generative grammar
• generative nucleus
• generative semantics

Rhymes for generative

• degenerative
• regenerative
• neurodegenerative

Medical Definition

generative

adjective

gen·​er·​a·​tive ˈjen-(ə-)rət-iv  -ə-ˌrāt- 

: having the power or function of propagating or reproducing

generative organs