generative
/ˈd͡ʒɛnəɹətɪv/adjective
generative is spelled G-E-N-E-R-A-T-I-V-E: 10 letters and 4 syllables. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 38,416th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, generative means “Having the power of generating, propagating, originating, or producing” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in generative?
| Letters | 10: G-E-N-E-R-A-T-I-V-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 4 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 38,416th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is generative?
Generative appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 38,416th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce generative?
- UK /ˈd͡ʒɛnəɹətɪv/
- UK /ˈd͡ʒɛnɹətɪv/
- UK /d͡ʒəˈnɛɹətɪv/
Generative has 4 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-generative.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-RGBLionGam3r17-generative.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of generative
- more generative comparative
- most generative superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does generative mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Having the power of generating, propagating, originating, or producing.
- 2
Reproductive.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Generative in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense having the power of generating:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | génératif |
| German | generativ |
| Portuguese | generativo |
| Spanish | generativo |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does generative come from?
Inherited from Middle English generatyve. By surface analysis, generate + -ive. Compare French génératif.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).