Creature
nounA living being, especially an animal rather than a human.
How to spell creature
8 letters · 2 syllables
How to pronounce creature
Say the part in capitals loudest.
What does creature mean?
- nounA living being, especially an animal rather than a human.
Creature in a sentence
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The documentary followed every creature that lived in the rock pool.
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A small furry creature darted across the path and into the hedge.
Where does creature come from?
Language of origin: Latin
Creature traces back to the Latin creatura, meaning 'a thing that has been created', which was formed from the verb creare, 'to bring into being' or 'to produce'. The same creare lies behind the everyday words 'create' and 'creation', and that shared family is a useful reminder that the spelling keeps the silent middle, creat-, rather than the sound the ear hears. English took the word in through Old French as 'creature' during the 1200s, originally meaning any created thing, whether a person, an animal, or even something made by hand. Over the centuries the sense narrowed toward living beings, especially animals, and it picked up an emotional shading too, so a person could be called a 'poor creature' out of pity. The 'ea' spelling, pronounced as a long 'ee', and the '-ture' ending that sounds like 'cher' are the two spots where confident adults most often slip.
How the word is built
- creat- (from Latin creare: to create, bring forth)
- -ure (noun-forming suffix)
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