Think of eating mashed potatoes and sausage three times a day, seven days a week, and three thousand six hundred and fifty days a decade.
Now, think of savoring a bowl of creamy and buttery homemade pomme puree, together with two pieces of freshly grilled Bratwursts as often as I enumerated earlier.
Which meal set do you think you’d have the appetite for?
And, why am I asking you to imagine these things?If you think you’re reading a cooking blog, then you got it all wrong, my dear.
“Pomme puree and Bratwurst” are just fancier ways of saying “mashed potatoes and sausage.”
You got what I just did there, didn’t you?
By reading our post today, you will find out how to be more linguistically creative with the word “creative” (pun intended), as well as how to apply each alternative in a sentence.
Let’s begin by contextualizing the word “creative” in detail.
Understanding the word “creative” a few miles deeper
The word “creative” alone should already be enough to put your imagination at work, pun intended again.
In its own right, “creative” can function either as an adjective or a noun in a sentence, depending on how you would like to represent your thoughts.
You can describe an idea as “creative” when you sense some form of originality, newness, or inventiveness in it.
This could be something that piques your curiosity, in the sense that it is puzzling yet interesting at the same time, paradoxically speaking.
Or, you can also colloquially call a person a “creative” when he or she professionally belongs to an organization that specializes in the utilization of knowledge and information.
In particular, “creatives” work in companies offering services like advertising, architecture, interior design, fashion, music, publishing, art, entertainment, et cetera.
As we continue to get confronted with language production-related instances, we also feel the need to utilize alternative expressions that would help us convey our thoughts more clearly and accurately.
For example, in the business world, using the best alternatives for overused expressions like “Hope all is well with you” is one way of showing your communicative excellence to the people around you.
Seeking better ways to express words demonstrates our relentless need to become more linguistically adept and flexible, thereby making communication more efficient and less mundane.
So, you may have reached our site either because you want your opinions to be taken more seriously by your target audiences, or you simply want to be able to express yourself better.
To help you fatten and strengthen your lexical repertoire, here are twelve different ways to express the word “creative” in its formal, adjectival sense.
12 Creative Synonyms (depending on the context)
1. imaginative
“Imaginative” is one of the most unambiguous ways to say “creative.” To be “imaginative” means possessing or showing signs of creativity, such as with concepts or ideas.
Statistics show that “imaginative” is less commonly used than “creative,” which makes it a better choice in contrast to the adjective being discussed.
Feel free to use “imaginative” when you are referring to concepts and designs that are striking enough to make you think twice or even more.
By the way, “imagination” and “imaginativeness” are two possible ways to turn “imaginative” into a noun. If you want to use it as a verb, then you can turn it into “imagine” instead.
Example:
2. inventive
Another way to say “creative” is “inventive,” which comes from the verb “to invent.” It can be turned into “invention” or “inventiveness” if you want to use it as a noun.
“Inventive” is a great choice when you are referring, but not limited, to machine-related creations, such as software programs and services.
Compared to “creative,” “inventive” is generally less frequently used by people, thereby evoking a less worn-out connotation.
Example:
3. innovative
Meanwhile, “innovative” is also the adjective form of the verb “to innovate,” which can be changed into “innovation” or “innovativeness” through nominalization.
Since we are talking about nominalization, I got a little question for you. Would you say that the noun form of “save” is “saving,” “savings,” or “save”?
I hope I piqued your curiosity there. Actually, all of the three choices I provided are possible noun forms of the word “save,” as well as “salvation.”
If you want to learn more about the noun form of “save,” please feel free to click here: The Noun Form of Save – Here’s What You Need to Know.
Going back to innovation, “innovative” is a great adjective choice in the context of computer science, such as in describing the most recent software solutions in the market.
In other words, the introduction of fresh products, services, or ideas is considered innovative.
Example:
4. ultramodern
“Ultramodern” leans more toward being futuristic or advanced. A person who believes in this kind of principle is called an “ultramodernist,” while someone who despises it could be called a “traditionalist” or “conformist.”
You may use “ultramodern” when you are describing architectural principles and designs that are forward-looking rather than conventional, such as Jeanne Gang or Zaha Hadid’s works.
If you check some of their architectural pieces, you will notice that they possess otherworldly aesthetics, similar to what Frank Gehry did with the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain.
Example:
5. ingenious
The adjective “ingenious” is also another great way to express the same meaning as “creative,” which can be turned into “ingenuity” if you want to use it as a noun.
A person described as “ingenious” possesses knowledge and skills to create ideas that provoke attention and interest among others.
Stephen King, J.K. Rowling, and Dan Brown are only some of the most famous authors in modern times who have made millions, if not billions, of dollars from their ingenious works.
Example:
By the way, we also have ten other ingenious ways of saying “sorry for the inconvenience” that you might want to look at in your free time.
6. artistic
If we talk about visual and decorative arts, the word “artistic” would be a great substitute for “creative.” To turn this into a noun, you may say “artistry” or simply “arts” instead.
You may use “artistic” to describe a painting, sculpture, or drawing that evokes strong emotional responses like anger, disgust, romance, or curiosity.
Some of the most artistic works of the twenty-first century are created by Robert K. Abbett, Satoru Abe, and Dennis Creffield.
Example:
7. prolific
“Prolific” is an adjective that denotes productivity and inventiveness at the same time, and thus, you may use this to describe the fruitfulness of works and ideas.
The Guinness Book of World Records has hailed Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Martyr Patricio Clito Ruíz y Picasso as the most prolific artist of all time.
More popularly known as “Pablo Picasso” or “Picasso” alone, the prolificness of this Spanish painter has lead to the production of thousands of paintings, prints, and engravings in his lifetime.
Example:
8. revolutionary
Although relatively bolder than “creative,” “revolutionary” is an excellent choice when you want to convey an idea that causes a holistic and dramatic change.
Just be prudent enough to use “revolutionary” accordingly because it may all the while suggest an extremist or insurgent sense if and when you are dealing with political discourse.
The rise and spread of English as a global language is also something you would describe as revolutionary because it has drastically altered the way people communicate around the world.
Example:
9. extraordinary
“Extraordinary” can also be used to increase the effect or magnitude of the word “creative,” just like what “revolutionary” does.
When a person or an entity is described as “extraordinary,” it therefore possesses or demonstrates qualities that go beyond the usual expectations.
Slightly less intriguing than “revolutionary,” you may use “extraordinary” to describe something or someone striking or remarkable enough to stir the emotions of observers.
Example:
10. expressive
Language can also be described as “creative” when it is used to convey thoughts in a manner that is persuasive to the point of being poetic.
“Expressive” is a good adjective that you can use to represent this idea, which can also be turned into “expression” or “expressiveness” as a noun.
You may describe something as “expressive” when it is meaningful and powerful enough to stimulate your sentimental side.
Example:
11. insightful
The adjective “insightful” could be used to describe a deep sense of understanding that could penetrate into other people’s consciousness.
For example, you could describe motivational speakers and philosophers as “insightful” because they have the power to influence their audience’s perceptions of the world, as well as their decisions in life.
The noun form of “insightful” is “insight” or “insightfulness” in which the former could simply mean intuition or awareness, while the latter means shrewdness.
Example:
12. unorthodox
Last but not least, the adjective “unorthodox” can also be used as an equivalent to “creative” when you want to describe a person, method, or view that doesn’t conform to the norms.
The word “unorthodox” is a double-edged sword that may also be interpreted in a negative way, especially to the point of being eccentric and over-the-top.
You may notice the usage of the base form of this word, “orthodox,” within the realm of religious and philosophical discussions.
Example:
Frequently Asked Questions on “10 Other Ways to Say ‘creative’”
What does “creative” mean?
“Creative” is an adjective whose meaning could be reduced to the notion that “common is dull and, therefore, boring.” A person or idea can be described as “creative” when either demonstrates qualities of going beyond the ordinary.
What is the antonym for “creativity”?
A direct antonym for “creativity” is “uncreativity,” which is formed through prefixation. Other close antonyms for “creativity” include “dullness,” “unimaginativeness,” and “imitation.”
What is another expression for “creative thinking”?
“Unorthodox thinking,” “out-of-the-box thinking,” and “revolutionary thinking,” are other ways to say “creative thinking.”
Conclusion
Whether you choose to simply say “creative” or spice it up a little bit by using “unorthodox,” the most important decision lies in the context where the language is expected to operate.
In a nutshell, it is always best to avoid using anything too fancy when it can be perceived as confusing and even borderline-pretentious.
What’s more important is to align your thoughts with your target audience in an unobscure and concise manner.
Hey fellow Linguaholics! It’s me, Marcel. I am the proud owner of linguaholic.com. Languages have always been my passion and I have studied Linguistics, Computational Linguistics and Sinology at the University of Zurich. It is my utmost pleasure to share with all of you guys what I know about languages and linguistics in general.