Agency Dictionary

creative

nounPronunciation: /kriˈeɪtɪv/

In Portuguese: criativo

What does “creative” mean?

A person whose profession is to create, such as a designer, a copywriter or a writer. As a noun it is used mostly in the plural, creatives, for the creative professionals of a team or an agency.

Etymology

From the adjective creative, from the Latin creare, to make or produce; the use as a noun for a creative professional is common in advertising.

Usage examples

For clarity, whenever I say “designer” in this issue, I refer to not only a visual designer but also a writer: creatives.
Issue.3 - Design in Crisis

Source editions

Where this entry comes from in the Agency editorial.

Words of the same theme

noveltynoun: The quality of being new, original, or unusual, or a unique item that catches public fascination.
Disciplinenoun: The practice of training one's mind and habits to adhere to rules, duties, and self-restraint.
briefingnoun: A concise set of instructions or background information provided to guide a project or creative assignment.
organicadjective: Relating to or derived from living organisms, biological matter, or systematically integrated natural systems.
Polymathnoun: A person of broad and comprehensive knowledge who excels across multiple distinct intellectual disciplines.
recipientnoun: The person who receives something. In communication, the one to whom a message is addressed and who interprets it, as opposed to the sender who composes it.
Superfluousadjective: Exceeding what is sufficient, necessary, or useful.
Typographynoun: The art and technique of arranging type to make written language legible, readable, and visually appealing. It encompasses typeface selection, point size, line spacing, tracking, and spatial kerning.
iconnoun: A simplified image that represents a thing by resembling it. In semiotics, a sign that signifies through likeness; in digital interfaces, a small picture that stands for an object or a function.

Also from these editions: terms

Characternoun: A metal block engraved with a letter used in letterpress printing, as well as the intrinsic moral quality and strength of a person.
Impressionnoun: An indentation or mark produced on a surface by pressure, or an effect or feeling produced in someone's mind.
Hermeneuticsnoun: The branch of knowledge that deals with interpretation, especially of literary texts and philosophical works. It examines how meaning is mediated through linguistic context.
autonomynoun: The condition or power of self-governance, independent decision-making, and freedom from external control.
Buttonnoun: A physical or graphical control element that triggers an immediate action or command when pressed or clicked. In software interfaces, buttons communicate system affordances through visual boundaries and labels.
Misogynynoun: Dislike of, contempt for, or ingrained prejudice against women that enforces patriarchal inequality and discrimination.
intuitionnoun: The capacity to understand or know something immediately, without the need for conscious reasoning or detailed analysis.
Naivetynoun: Lack of worldly experience, cynicism, or judgment; natural innocence, simplicity, and uncorrupted openness of mind.
Consumernoun: An individual or group that acquires, purchases, or consumes physical or commercial goods and services for personal use. In marketing, consumers are studied for purchasing patterns and brand preferences.
aestheticsnoun: A set of principles concerned with the nature and appreciation of beauty, artistic taste, and style.
Blissnoun: A state of supreme happiness, utter contentment, or serene, untroubled joy.
Braverynoun: The moral quality or mental disposition that enables a person to encounter danger, difficulty, or acute pain with resolute courage, composure, and firmness of purpose.