create

The word “create” means to bring something into existence; to make something new. In plain terms, to make something exist that didn't before, or to cause a situation or feeling to arise.

“Create” is pronounced kree-AYT (/kɹiːˈeɪt/ in IPA).

Here is “create” used in a sentence: “The engineers created a prototype in just three weeks.”

Words with a similar meaning to “create” include bring forth, cause, contrive, develop, engender and evolve.

The opposite of “create” — its antonyms — is destroy.

“Create” is a verb.

The word “create” comes from Latin. From Latin creatus, the past participle of creare, "to bring forth or produce" — it replaced older English words like "shape" and "work" in this sense.

“Create” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.

To make is to produce something in a practical, often physical way, like making dinner. To create carries a stronger sense of originality, bringing something new into existence, whether an artwork, an idea, or a company. All creating is making, but not all making is truly creating.

To invent is to devise something that never existed before, usually a device, method, or process. To create is broader; it covers making anything new, from a painting to a plan, whether or not it is a first-of-its-kind invention. Every invention is created, but not everything created is invented.

The clearest opposite is destroy, to bring something to an end rather than into being. Other opposites include demolish, ruin, and abolish. Depending on context, create may also contrast with copy or imitate, since creating implies making something original rather than reproducing what already exists.

You create when you bring something new into existence: an artist creates a painting, a writer creates a story, a chef creates a recipe, and a developer creates an app. It also applies to less tangible things, like creating a plan, a mood, a business, or an opportunity.