Generative

/ˈdʒɛnərətɪv/ adjective

Definition

Able to produce, create, or generate new things; having the power to bring something into existence.

Etymology

From Latin 'generativus' (having the power to generate), from 'generare' (to produce). The term entered English in the 14th-15th centuries and was heavily used in philosophy and theology to describe creative power.

Kelly Says

Linguist Noam Chomsky's 'generative grammar' changed how we think about language—it's about a small set of rules that can generate infinite sentences, just like DNA's four letters generate all life.

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