# creative

> English word · Adjective · IPA /kɹiˈeɪtɪv/ · frequency rank #2,476

## Definitions
1. Tending to create things, or having the ability to create; often, excellently, in a novel fashion, or any or all of these.
2. Original, expressive and imaginative.
3. A type of set of natural numbers, related to mathematical logic.
4. Designed or executed to deceive or mislead.
5. bad, unartistic, busy.

## Etymology
Borrowed from Late Latin creativus, from Latin creō. Equivalent to create + -ive. Displaced native Old English orþanclīċ.

## Easily confused with
- **creature** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/creative-vs-creature)
- **curative** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/creative-vs-curative)
- **creatively** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/creative-vs-creatively)
- **create** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/create-vs-creative)
- **creating** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/creating-vs-creative)
- **creation** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/creation-vs-creative)
- **creatine** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/creatine-vs-creative)

## Common misspellings (11)
`ccreative`, `cerative`, `craetive`, `creaitve`, `creatiev`, `creativve`, `creattive`, `creatvie`, `cretaive`, `crreative`, `rceative`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/creative