generative

adjective

gen·​er·​a·​tive ˈje-nə-rə-tiv How to pronounce generative (audio)
ˈjen-rə-tiv,
ˈje-nə-ˌrā-tiv How to pronounce generative (audio)
: having the power or function of generating, originating, producing, or reproducing
… Elizabeth Gilbert dives into her own generative process to share her wisdom and unique perspective about creativity.Camryn La Sala
… her gift is essentially organizational rather than generative.Martin Filler
: such as
a
biology : of or relating to the production of offspring
vegetative and generative plant growth
the generative organs of mammals
see also generative cell, generative nucleus
b
computing : using artificial intelligence algorithms to create complete units of content (such as text compositions, images, audio, or video) based on a broad corpus of material
Unlike the phone's predictive text feature, ChatGPT is said to be generative (the G in GPT).JoElla Carman and Jasmine Cui
see also generative AI

Examples of generative in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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According to SurveyMonkey research from 2023, roughly one-third of employees aged 18-24 report being worried about generative AI taking their jobs. Shayne Fitz-Coy, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025 Jassy said Amazon is in the process of building over 100 generative artificial intelligence (AI) features. Jeff Marks, CNBC, 21 Apr. 2025 An earlier Goldman Sachs analysis projected that generative A.I. could put the equivalent of three hundred million full-time jobs at risk worldwide. John Cassidy, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025 Studies show that human grading of writing, too, is prone to bias and error — and that advanced forms of generative A.I. may be accurate and consistent graders of simple writing tasks. Dana Goldstein, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for generative

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of generative was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Generative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/generative. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.

Medical Definition

generative

adjective
gen·​er·​a·​tive ˈjen-(ə-)rət-iv How to pronounce generative (audio) -ə-ˌrāt- How to pronounce generative (audio)
: having the power or function of propagating or reproducing
generative organs

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