create

Meanings

1. 1verbtransitive

   To bring something new into existence by making, designing, or inventing it.

   Grammar: Takes an object: she created a new logo. It does not take a preposition directly.

   Patterns

   • create something
   • create something for someone
   • create something from something

   The artist created a mural for the town hall.

   She created a new recipe from leftover vegetables.

   They created a website to promote their band.

2. 2verbtransitive

   To cause a situation, feeling, or condition to exist.

   Grammar: Often takes abstract objects: create jobs, create confusion.

   Patterns

   • create a problem
   • create an impression

   The new factory will create hundreds of jobs.

   His late arrival created confusion at the start.

   Soft lighting creates a relaxing atmosphere.

3. 3verbtransitiveformal

   To officially give someone a new rank or title.

   Grammar: A formal use, often passive: he was created a baron.

   Patterns

   • create someone something

   The king created him a duke for his service.

   She was created a life peer in the New Year honors.

   The queen created several new knights that spring.

Word forms

Common combinations

create jobs

The project aims to create jobs for local people.

create a problem

Changing the plan could create a new problem.

create an account

You must create an account to log in.

create a sense of

The music creates a sense of calm.

create a fuss

Please don't create a fuss about the bill.

Synonyms and how they differ

make

Make is the everyday word and works for simple things, while create suggests something original or more important.

produce

Produce suggests output in quantity, such as a factory producing goods, rather than inventing.

invent

Invent means to think of something that never existed, so it is narrower than create.

generate

Generate suggests producing something automatically or in a flow, such as electricity or ideas.

Opposites

Word family

creation noun

the act of making, or the thing made

creative adjective

good at making original things

creator noun

a person who makes something

creativity noun

the ability to produce new ideas

creatively adverb

in an inventive way

Commonly confused: create or crate?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “create”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words