creative

adjective

krē-ˈā-tiv How to pronounce creative (audio)
Definition of creativenext
1
as in innovative
having the skill and imagination to create new things Thomas Edison's status as perhaps America's greatest creative genius

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in imaginative
showing a noteworthy use of the imagination and creativity especially in inventing always coming up with creative ways to use hamburger

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of creative Brought to life by creative director Roberto Menichetti, the lineup oozes elegant British craftsmanship, bringing Bond’s classic evening look into the modern day. — Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 2 Oct. 2026 Phoebe Philo used the funnel neck repeatedly during her tenure as Celine’s creative director, and the silhouette has remained a consistent presence in collections for her namesake brand, which launched in 2023. — Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026 Were there any tours or musicians who inspired this tour’s creative direction? — Eric Renner Brown, Billboard, 2 Oct. 2026 The annual ceremony, held at NYCC since 2017, presents awards across a nimble seven categories designed to focus on the creative work as a whole and not the individual. — Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for creative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for creative
  1. innovative
  2. imaginative
  3. inventive
  4. clever
  5. talented
Adjective
  • To help smaller, innovative brands get past minimum order quantity barriers, Hyosung combines demand from several partners.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Microsoft makes a big investment, and when the company’s innovative earth-shaking ChatGPT becomes a sensation Altman changes to goals and goes for profit.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of innovative
Adjective
  • From this format emerges the tacit thesis that the Bicentennial cultural activities excelled at provoking critical, imaginative reflections on America’s past and future from artmakers and from ordinary citizens alike.
    — Anna Kornbluh, ARTnews.com, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Expanding on French drama series, Debeurme praised his colleagues and fellow artists presenting audacious, imaginative projects in La Rochelle.
    — Kevin Giraud, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of imaginative
Adjective
  • Last year, there weren’t as many, but for us, animation is such an inventive form.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026
  • In 2011, Joe Kay debuted Soulection as a college radio show at Cal State Long Beach, spinning rare B-sides, progressive beats, inventive flips of classic records and soulful underground tracks.
    — Kailyn Brown, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of inventive
Adjective
  • By upgrading synthetic skin from a passive sensor into an energy harvester, the Fudan team offers a clever alternative to deadweight batteries.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Halloween is sneaking up frighteningly fast, which means the window for coming up with a genuinely clever costume is closing at an alarming rate.
    — Marci Robin, Allure, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of clever
Adjective
  • There’s no more talented quartet of perimeter players on one team than James/Brown/Maxey/Edgecombe.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The story plays out in New York’s cutthroat acting scene, where a talented Indian actor chasing his craft falls under the sway of Keitel’s teacher.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of talented

Browse Nearby Words

creations
creative
creativeness
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Cite this Entry

“Creative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/creative. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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