creature

noun

crea·​ture ˈkrē-chər How to pronounce creature (audio)
Synonyms of creaturenext
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 How to pronounce creature (audio)
adjective
creaturehood
ˈkrē-chər-ˌhu̇d How to pronounce creature (audio)
noun
creatureliness
ˈkrē-chər-lē-nəs How to pronounce creature (audio)
noun
creaturely
ˈkrē-chər-lē How to pronounce creature (audio)
adjective

Synonyms of creature

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

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.
Throughout outer space lie stars and galaxies that resemble creepy creatures, spooky skulls and galactic ghouls. — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 31 Oct. 2026 The film will use that mix, with giant creatures popping up around town as a surreal backdrop, to probe the pull between difference and belonging, and between freedom and commitment. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 30 Oct. 2026 What captures Linus’ imagination during our spookiest holiday season is a Santa Claus-like darkling creature known as the Great Pumpkin. — Colin Fleming, Chicago Tribune, 30 Oct. 2026 And how did the mythical creature become a go-to insult in politics? — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2026 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

Phrases Containing creature

Rhymes for creature

See All Rhymes for creature

Browse Nearby Words

creatural
creature
creature comfort
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Creature.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/creature. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

creature

noun
crea·​ture ˈkrē-chər How to pronounce creature (audio)
1
: a created being
2
a
: a lower animal
b
: individual sense 2
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of Pyrrhic

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
couple-laugh-cafe
Quiz: Foreign Phrases You Should Know Check out your bona fides and avoid any faux pas.
See All