creativity

Meanings

1. 1noununcountable

   the ability to produce new ideas, things, or ways of doing something

   Grammar: Uncountable, no plural: She has great creativity. Not 'a creativity'.

   Patterns

   • show creativity
   • use creativity
   • encourage creativity

   The job requires a lot of creativity and imagination.

   Her creativity shines in every painting she makes.

   Schools should encourage creativity in students.

2. 2noununcountable

   the quality of being imaginative or original in thinking

   Grammar: Often used in phrases like 'a burst of creativity' or 'creative thinking'.

   Patterns

   • a burst of creativity
   • creative thinking
   • spark creativity

   The team's creativity led to a completely new product.

   He solved the problem with surprising creativity.

   A lack of creativity can make the work boring.

Common combinations

show creativity

The children showed creativity in their drawings.

encourage creativity

Good teachers encourage creativity.

a burst of creativity

She had a sudden burst of creativity and wrote three songs.

creative thinking

Creative thinking is essential in this job.

Synonyms and how they differ

imagination

Imagination is the ability to form ideas in your mind; creativity is about producing something new from those ideas.

originality

Originality emphasizes being new and different; creativity can also involve combining existing things in new ways.

inventiveness

Inventiveness is more about making new things or devices; creativity is broader and includes art and ideas.

Opposites

Word family

create verb

To make something new.

creative adjective

Having or showing creativity.

creator noun

A person who creates something.

creatively adverb

In a creative way.

Commonly confused: creativity or creation?

Practice

Make it your own

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

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