creativity

creativity — noun

1. the ability to think of new and interesting ideas and to turn them into somethin

1.nounB1
Definition

the ability to think of new and interesting ideas and to turn them into something real or useful — for example, writing a story, designing a poster, or finding an unusual solution to a problem.

Example

Walid's creativity turned an old cardboard box into a beautiful toy castle for his daughter.

collocation: turn creativity into [concrete result]

The school art competition encouraged creativity by letting children choose their own materials.

collocation: encourage creativity

Common collocations
  • show creativity
  • encourage creativity
  • require creativity
  • spark creativity
  • burst of creativity
  • creative thinking
Synonyms
  • originality

    focuses on the quality of being unlike anything else; a person can have originality without producing anything tangible

  • imagination

    the ability to form mental images or concepts; imagination exists in the mind, while creativity implies making something real

  • inventiveness

    emphasises practical or clever problem-solving, especially in technical or mechanical contexts

  • innovation

    creativity applied at a larger, often commercial or organisational scale; more formal and business-oriented

Antonyms
  • conformity

    the tendency to follow established patterns and rules rather than creating something new

Usage Note

Uncountable noun — do not use as 'a creativity' or 'creativities'. Creativity refers to a general ability, not to specific instances.

Common Mistakes

I need a creativity to solve this problem.
I need creativity to solve this problem.
Creativity is an uncountable noun, so it cannot be used with the article 'a'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Although these words all involve generating new ideas, they emphasise different aspects. Creativity is the broadest term, covering the entire process from conceiving an idea to producing something real. Originality focuses specifically on the quality of being unlike anything else — a drawing can be highly original without being skilfully executed. Imagination is the purely mental ability to picture things not present; you can have a vivid imagination without ever making anything. Inventiveness leans toward practical, clever problem-solving, especially in design or engineering. Innovation takes creativity into the realm of systems, products, or business — it implies bringing a new idea to a group or market at scale. For instance, a child shows creativity by turning a shoebox into a dollhouse, originality in the house's unusual design, and imagination in picturing its rooms. A mechanic shows inventiveness by fashioning a replacement part from scrap, and a company shows innovation by launching a new type of battery.

originality ↗imagination ↗inventivenessinnovation ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • burst of creativity
  • act of creativity
  • lack of creativity

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Creativity comes from the Latin verb 'creare', meaning to make, produce, or bring forth. This root passed into Old French then into English. The verb 'create' appeared in English in the 14th century, originally referring to divine creation. 'Creative' emerged in the 1600s with the meaning 'having the quality of creating'. The noun 'creativity' was first recorded in the 1870s but became widely used only after the 1950s, when psychologists began studying it as a human trait that could be developed.