créatif

Créatif, créative is an adjective in French meaning capable of creating or producing original ideas. It is derived from the verb créer and is used to describe people, processes, and things related to imagination and invention. The term is closely linked to the noun créativité, which denotes the quality or process of being creative.

In everyday use, créatif can describe a mindset or approach, as in une approche créative or un esprit créatif. It is also common in business and media to refer to the creative department or output, such as l’équipe créative, une idée créative, or un concept créatif. In some contexts, particularly in advertising, un créatif is a person who develops creative concepts, sometimes specifying roles like copywriter or art director within a team.

Morphology and usage notes: the masculine singular is créatif and the feminine singular is créative. The plural forms are créatifs (masculine) and créatives (feminine). The adjective can modify nouns of gender in a concordant way, as in une personne créative or des média créatifs. The related noun créativité denotes the capacity or process of creating, while création refers to the act or result of creation.

Context and register: créatif is widely used in contemporary French across arts, design, marketing, and technology to describe originality, inventive thinking, and imaginative work. It encompasses both individual talent and collective processes, without implying a specific discipline.