Define vs. Create — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on September 25, 2023
“Define” means to state the precise meaning of a word or the nature of something, while “Create” means to bring something into existence; they are fundamentally different actions.
Difference Between Define and Create
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
“Define” and “Create” are verbs that convey different actions and are used in varied contexts. To define is to clearly describe the fundamental nature, scope, or meaning of something, whether it be a word, a concept, or an entity. It is an act of demarcation and clarification, specifying boundaries and providing clear, understandable descriptions or explanations. This word is primarily about providing clear and precise understanding, ensuring that ambiguities are removed, and the essence of a subject is revealed.
In contrast, to create is to bring something into existence or produce something new through imaginative skill, whether it’s a piece of art, a solution, a concept, or a tangible object. This word is intrinsically linked to the process of generation and innovation, often involving the application of imagination, creativity, and skill. It denotes the act of formulation and production, resulting in the realization of something that didn’t exist before.
When one defines, they are not creating something new but rather delineating and articulating the inherent characteristics or meaning of an existing entity or concept. It is an analytical process, focusing on understanding and clarification, providing specificity and detail. It involves the use of discernment and insight to articulate the essence and the inherent qualities of the subject.
On the other hand, when one creates, they are involved in a synthesizing process, combining elements in novel ways to produce something original and unique. Creation is expansive and generative, it’s about bringing forth, constructing, and originating. It involves vision, innovation, and the ability to see possibilities and to make connections that result in new forms, ideas, or entities.
In conclusion, while defining is about articulating and clarifying the inherent nature or meaning of something, creating is about innovating and bringing new things into existence. The former is about understanding and the latter is about generation, each serving distinct purposes and playing unique roles in the process of thought and production.
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Comparison Chart
Purpose
To clarify and explain the meaning or nature
To originate or bring something into existence
Process
Analytical, involves demarcation and clarification
Synthesizing, involves innovation and generation
Outcome
Clear understanding and removal of ambiguities
New and original forms, ideas, or entities
Application
Primarily in explaining concepts or words
In producing art, solutions, objects, etc.
Associated Skills
Discernment, insight, articulation
Vision, imagination, innovation
Compare with Definitions
Define
To state or describe the exact nature, scope, or meaning of.
It is important to define the terms clearly in any agreement.
Create
To produce through imaginative skill.
She can create amazing melodies on the piano.
Define
To specify distinctly.
The project’s goals are well defined.
Create
To bring something into existence.
The artist wants to create a masterpiece.
Define
To explain or identify the essential qualities or meaning of something.
The teacher asked the students to define the word in their own words.
Create
To cause or give rise to.
His speech created a lot of controversy.
Define
To delineate the outline or form of something.
The artist uses sharp lines to define the shapes in his drawings.
Create
Bring (something) into existence
He created a thirty-acre lake
Over 170 jobs were created
Define
State or describe exactly the nature, scope, or meaning of
The contract will seek to define the client's obligations
Create
Make a fuss; complain
Little kids create because they hate being ignored
Define
Mark out the boundary or limits of
The river defines the park's boundary
Create
To cause to exist; bring into being
Created a new music school.
Define
To state the precise meaning of (a word or sense of a word, for example).
Create
To give rise to; produce
That remark created a stir.
Define
To describe the nature or basic qualities of; explain
Define the properties of a new drug.
A study that defines people according to their median incomes.
Create
To produce through artistic or imaginative effort
Create a poem.
Create a dramatic role.
Define
To make clear the outline or form of; delineate
Gentle hills that were defined against the sky.
Create
To invest with an office or title; appoint
He was created a baron.
Define
To specify distinctly
Define the weapons to be used in limited warfare.
Create
Created.
Define
To give form or meaning to
"For him, a life is defined by action" (Jay Parini).
Create
(transitive) To bring into existence; (sometimes in particular:)
You can create the color orange by mixing yellow and red.
Define
To make or write a definition.
Create
To bring into existence out of nothing, without the prior existence of the materials or elements used.
Define
To determine with precision; to mark out with distinctness; to ascertain or exhibit clearly.
The defining power of an optical instrument
Create
To make or produce from other (e.g. raw, unrefined or scattered) materials or combinable elements or ideas; to design or invest with a new form, shape, function, etc.
Couturiers create exclusive garments for an affluent clientele.
Define
(obsolete) To settle, decide an argument etc.
Create
(transitive) To cause, to bring (a non-object) about by an action, behavior, or event, to occasion.
Crop failures created food shortages and high prices; his stubbornness created many difficulties
A sudden chemical spill on the highway created a chain‐collision which created a record traffic jam.
Define
To express the essential nature of something.
I define myself as a techno-anarchist.
Your past mistakes do not define who you are.
Create
(transitive) To confer or invest with a rank or title of nobility, to appoint, ordain or constitute.
Henry VIII created him a Duke.
Last month, the queen created two barons.
Under the concordate with Belgium, at least one Belgian clergyman must be created cardinal; by tradition, every archbishop of Mechelen is thus created a cardinal.
Define
To state the meaning of a word, phrase, sign, or symbol.
The textbook defined speed as velocity divided by time.
Create
(intransitive) To be or do something creative, imaginative, originative.
Children usually enjoy creating, never mind if it is of any use!
Define
To describe, explain, or make definite and clear; used to request the listener or other person to elaborate or explain more clearly his or her intended meaning of a word or expression.
Person 1: Is she good at math?
Person 2: Define "good." If you mean if she is faster than the average middle schooler at multiplication, then yes. If you mean if she is able to do multivariable calculus, then no.
Person 2: Define "good." If you mean if she is faster than the average middle schooler at multiplication, then yes. If you mean if she is able to do multivariable calculus, then no.
Create
(transitive) In theatre, to be the first performer of a role; to originate a character.
Define
To demark sharply the outlines or limits of an area or concept.
To define the legal boundaries of a property
Create
To make a fuss, complain; to shout.
Define
(mathematics) To establish the referent of a term or notation.
Create
(obsolete) Created, resulting from creation.
Define
(programming) A kind of macro in source code that replaces one text string with another wherever it occurs.
Create
Created; composed; begotten.
Hearts create of duty and zeal.
Define
To fix the bounds of; to bring to a termination; to end.
Create
To bring into being; to form out of nothing; to cause to exist.
In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth.
Define
To determine or clearly exhibit the boundaries of; to mark the limits of; as, to define the extent of a kingdom or country.
Create
To effect by the agency, and under the laws, of causation; to be the occasion of; to cause; to produce; to form or fashion; to renew.
Your eye in ScotlandWould create soldiers.
Create in me a clean heart.
Define
To determine with precision; to mark out with distinctness; to ascertain or exhibit clearly; as, the defining power of an optical instrument.
Rings . . . very distinct and well defined.
Create
To invest with a new form, office, or character; to constitute; to appoint; to make; as, to create one a peer.
Define
To determine the precise signification of; to fix the meaning of; to describe accurately; to explain; to expound or interpret; as, to define a word, a phrase, or a scientific term.
They define virtue to be life ordered according to nature.
Create
Make or cause to be or to become;
Make a mess in one's office
Create a furor
Define
To determine; to decide.
Create
Bring into existence;
The company was created 25 years ago
He created a new movement in painting
Define
Give a definition for the meaning of a word;
Define `sadness'
Create
Pursue a creative activity; be engaged in a creative activity;
Don't disturb him--he is creating
Define
Determine the essential quality of
Create
Invest with a new title, office, or rank;
Create one a peer
Define
Determine the nature of;
What defines a good wine?
Create
Create by artistic means;
Create a poem
Schoenberg created twelve-tone music
Picasso created Cubism
Auden made verses
Define
Delineate the form or outline of;
The tree was clearly defined by the light
The camera could define the smallest object
Create
Create or manufacture a man-made product;
We produce more cars than we can sell
The company has been making toys for two centuries
Define
To determine or identify something exactly.
The study aims to define the causes of the phenomenon.
Create
To design and manufacture a new product or device.
The company plans to create a new model next year.
Create
To originate, as part of a creative process.
The writer created a complex protagonist.
Common Curiosities
Is “Create” about bringing something new into existence?
Absolutely, to “create” is to bring something into existence or produce something new.
Does “Define” imply stating the exact nature of something?
Yes, to “define” implies stating or describing the exact nature, scope, or meaning of something.
Can “Define” be used to describe the outline of something?
Yes, “define” can be used to delineate the outline or form of something.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
