generative
adjective
gen·er·a·tive
ˈje-nə-rə-tiv
ˈjen-rə-tiv,
ˈje-nə-ˌrā-tiv
: 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
The newest models also come with AI integration that allows them to summarize text with generative technology.—Cody D. Campbell
see also generative AI
Cite this Entry
“Generative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/generative. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.
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