What does "creature" mean?
A living being, such as an animal, monster, or alien.
Creature
/ˈkɹiː.tʃə/ noun
noun ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A living being, such as an animal, monster, or alien.
- Grammar: creature is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: being, adamite, adherent, aerobic organism.
- Useful contrasts: creator, nonliving thing, nonperson.
- Usage evidence: I don't know what kind of creature is making such a terrible noise outside tonight.
How to use "creature"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "creature" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "creature" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "creature" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "creature" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "creature" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "being" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "creature", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A living being, such as an animal, monster, or alien.
"insects and other creatures"
- 2 a living organism characterized by voluntary movement wordnet
- 3 An unidentified, mysterious, and often monstrous animal or being.
"When it comes to this creature you have to unlearn everything you've ever learned about physiology. For example, when its appendages emerge to feed, they do so using incredible bursts of growth, quite unlike anything ever seen before […]"
- 4 a living being wordnet
- 5 A human. derogatory, sometimes
"He's a creature of habit."
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 a person who is controlled by others and is used to perform unpleasant or dishonest tasks for someone else wordnet
- 7 A created thing, whether animate or inanimate; a creation. uncommon
"Thoughts, my mindes creatures, often are with thee, / But I, their maker, want their libertie."
- 8 A being subservient to or dependent upon another.
""You know what I advise," said Mrs. Smith. "Ask Miss Dunstable to advance the money on the same security which the duke holds. She will be as safe then as he is now. And if you can arrange that, stand for the county against him; perhaps you may be beaten." "I shouldn't have a chance." "But it would show that you are not a creature in the duke's hands. That's my advice," said Mrs. Smith, with much spirit; […]"
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"I don't know what kind of creature is making such a terrible noise outside tonight."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "creature"?
Common synonyms include: being, adamite, adherent, aerobic organism, agent, alive beings.
How do you use "creature" in a sentence?
I don't know what kind of creature is making such a terrible noise outside tonight.
How do you pronounce "creature"?
Pronounced /ˈkɹiː.tʃə/.
Etymology
From Middle English creature in the original sense of “a created thing”, borrowed via Old French creature, criature, from Latin creātūra, from creō. Displaced native Old English ġesċeaft. Doublet of craythur and critter.