Produce vs. Create — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on November 2, 2023
Produce refers to the act of making something from existing materials or components, while create involves bringing something entirely new into existence.
Difference Between Produce and Create
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Produce is often associated with manufacturing or agriculture, where goods are made available, often on a large scale, from raw materials or components. For example, a factory produces cars from steel, plastic, and other materials. Conversely, create is more about originating something, bringing something new into existence through imagination or design. It's when an artist creates a painting; the painting didn't exist before in any form.
The act to produce something can sometimes lack the novelty or originality implied by create. Production can follow a set formula or process to generate a consistent result. In contrast, to create something may involve inventing or conceiving something original or unprecedented. Producing a series of similar widgets for consumption is different from creating a concept for a widget that has never been seen before.
When we talk about produce, we're often referring to output and quantity, such as a farm producing crops. Here, the focus is on the yield and efficiency. Create, however, leans towards the quality and uniqueness of the end result. For instance, writing a novel involves creating characters and a storyline, which is a qualitative process, rather than producing words which quantitatively fill pages.
To produce is also to bring something forward, to present, as in producing evidence in court. This suggests the item already exists and is simply being brought to light. Create, however, implies that the evidence or item would not exist unless someone brought it into being through some process of invention or construction.
Lastly, produce implies a sense of completion, the end of a process where something is ready for consumption or use. Create might not involve a finished product but could refer to the process itself, the act of creation that might lead to a finished product or may remain a work in progress, like creating a business plan.
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Comparison Chart
Focus
Output and quantity
Originality and novelty
Process
Replication or extraction
Invention or ideation
Industry Examples
Agriculture, manufacturing
Arts, design
Implication
Availability for use or sale
Conceptualization
Result
Often tangible goods
Can be intangible ideas
Compare with Definitions
Produce
Manufacture
Factories produce consumer goods every day.
Create
Originate
She creates music with a unique blend of genres.
Produce
Generate
Power plants produce electricity for the city.
Create
Invent
The scientist created a new method for recycling plastics.
Produce
Create for display or use
The chef produced a seven-course meal for the guests.
Create
Bring (something) into existence
He created a thirty-acre lake
Over 170 jobs were created
Produce
Present
The attorney produced new evidence in the trial.
Create
Make a fuss; complain
Little kids create because they hate being ignored
Produce
Produce is a generalized term for many farm-produced crops, including fruits and vegetables (grains, oats, etc. are also sometimes considered produce).
Create
To cause to exist; bring into being
Created a new music school.
Produce
Make or manufacture from components or raw materials
The company have just produced a luxury version of the aircraft
Create
To give rise to; produce
That remark created a stir.
Produce
Cause (a particular result or situation) to happen or exist
No conventional drugs had produced any significant change
Create
To produce through artistic or imaginative effort
Create a poem.
Create a dramatic role.
Produce
Show or provide (something) for consideration, inspection, or use
He produced a sheet of paper from his pocket
Create
To invest with an office or title; appoint
He was created a baron.
Produce
Administer the financial and managerial aspects of (a film or broadcast) or the staging of (a play, opera, etc.)
The video was produced and directed by film-maker Neil Campbell
Create
Created.
Produce
Extend or continue (a line)
One side of the triangle was produced
Create
(transitive) To bring into existence; (sometimes in particular:)
You can create the color orange by mixing yellow and red.
Produce
Agricultural and other natural products collectively
Dairy produce
Create
To bring into existence out of nothing, without the prior existence of the materials or elements used.
Produce
To bring forth; yield
A plant that produces pink flowers.
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.
Produce
To create by physical or mental effort
Produce a tapestry.
Produce a poem.
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.
Produce
To manufacture
Factories that produce cars and trucks.
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.
Produce
To cause to occur or exist; give rise to
Chemicals that produce a noxious vapor when mixed.
Create
(intransitive) To be or do something creative, imaginative, originative.
Children usually enjoy creating, never mind if it is of any use!
Produce
To bring forth; exhibit
Reached into a pocket and produced a pack of matches.
Failed to produce an eyewitness to the crime.
Create
(transitive) In theatre, to be the first performer of a role; to originate a character.
Produce
To act or operate as producer for
Produce a stage play.
Produce a video.
Create
To make a fuss, complain; to shout.
Produce
(Mathematics) To extend (an area or volume) or lengthen (a line).
Create
(obsolete) Created, resulting from creation.
Produce
To make or yield products or a product
An apple tree that produces well.
Create
Created; composed; begotten.
Hearts create of duty and zeal.
Produce
To manufacture or create economic goods and services.
Create
To bring into being; to form out of nothing; to cause to exist.
In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth.
Produce
Farm products, especially fresh fruits and vegetables, considered as a group.
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.
Produce
(transitive) To yield, make or manufacture; to generate.
Create
To invest with a new form, office, or character; to constitute; to appoint; to make; as, to create one a peer.
Produce
(transitive) To make (a thing) available to a person, an authority, etc.; to provide for inspection.
Create
Make or cause to be or to become;
Make a mess in one's office
Create a furor
Produce
To sponsor and present (a motion picture, etc) to an audience or to the public.
Create
Bring into existence;
The company was created 25 years ago
He created a new movement in painting
Produce
(mathematics) To extend an area, or lengthen a line.
To produce a side of a triangle
Create
Pursue a creative activity; be engaged in a creative activity;
Don't disturb him--he is creating
Produce
(obsolete) To draw out; to extend; to lengthen or prolong.
Create
Invest with a new title, office, or rank;
Create one a peer
Produce
(music) To alter using technology, as opposed to simply performing.
Highly produced sound
Create
Create by artistic means;
Create a poem
Schoenberg created twelve-tone music
Picasso created Cubism
Auden made verses
Produce
That which is produced.
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
Produce
Harvested agricultural goods collectively, especially vegetables and fruit, but possibly including eggs, dairy products and meat; the saleable food products of farms.
Create
Design
He created a new app interface that’s user-friendly.
Produce
Offspring.
Create
Bring into existence
They created a trust fund for their grandchildren.
Produce
(Australia) Livestock and pet food supplies.
Create
Compose or write
The writer created a world that captured readers' imaginations.
Produce
To bring forward; to lead forth; to offer to view or notice; to exhibit; to show; as, to produce a witness or evidence in court.
Produce your cause, saith the Lord.
Your parents did not produce you much into the world.
Produce
To bring forth, as young, or as a natural product or growth; to give birth to; to bear; to generate; to propagate; to yield; to furnish; as, the earth produces grass; trees produce fruit; the clouds produce rain.
This soil produces all sorts of palm trees.
[They] produce prodigious births of body or mind.
The greatest jurist his country had produced.
Produce
To cause to be or to happen; to originate, as an effect or result; to bring about; as, disease produces pain; vice produces misery.
Produce
To give being or form to; to manufacture; to make; as, a manufacturer produces excellent wares.
Produce
To yield or furnish; to gain; as, money at interest produces an income; capital produces profit.
Produce
To draw out; to extend; to lengthen; to prolong; as, to produce a man's life to threescore.
Produce
To extend; - applied to a line, surface, or solid; as, to produce a side of a triangle.
Produce
To yield or furnish appropriate offspring, crops, effects, consequences, or results.
Produce
That which is produced, brought forth, or yielded; product; yield; proceeds; result of labor, especially of agricultural labors
Produce
Fresh fruits and vegetable grown for the market
Produce
Bring forth or yield;
The tree would not produce fruit
Produce
Create or manufacture a man-made product;
We produce more cars than we can sell
The company has been making toys for two centuries
Produce
Cause to occur or exist;
This procedure produces a curious effect
The new law gave rise to many complaints
These chemicals produce a noxious vapor
Produce
Bring out for display;
The proud father produced many pictures of his baby
The accused brought forth a letter in court that he claims exonerates him
Produce
Bring onto the market or release;
Produce a movie
Bring out a book
Produce a new play
Produce
Cultivate by growing, often involving improvements by means of agricultural techniques;
The Bordeaux region produces great red wines
They produce good ham in Parma
We grow wheat here
We raise hogs here
Produce
Come to have or undergo a change of (physical features and attributes);
He grew a beard
The patient developed abdominal pains
I got funny spots all over my body
Well-developed breasts
Produce
Cultivate
Farmers produce crops through careful cultivation.
Common Curiosities
Is produce always tangible?
Typically, yes, it refers to tangible goods, but it can also mean to present something like information.
Can services be produced?
Yes, services can be produced, like a company producing a consulting service.
Is creativity a requirement to produce?
Not necessarily, as produce often follows a predefined process or replication.
Can create and produce be used interchangeably?
They are not always interchangeable as create often implies originality, while produce focuses on the act of making something available.
Is there a difference in skill level between producing and creating?
Creating is often associated with higher levels of originality and skill, while producing can be more about execution.
Can we use produce for intellectual outputs?
Yes, in contexts like "the writer produced a series of articles."
Does produce only apply to physical goods?
Primarily, yes, but it can extend to results of work or effort in a broader sense.
Does create always mean something artistic?
No, create applies to any act of bringing something new into existence, whether artistic, conceptual, or practical.
Can something be created unintentionally?
Generally, create implies intention, but spontaneous or accidental creations can occur.
Can produce refer to output from natural processes?
Yes, we often refer to nature’s bounty as produce, like fruits and vegetables.
Are produced items always mass-produced?
No, items can be produced on a small scale, but mass production is common.
Can one person create something complex like a car?
While one person may design (create) a car, it is usually produced (made) by a team or factory.
Is the term produce used in legal settings?
Yes, in legal terms, produce means to provide or present evidence or documents.
Is it correct to say a company creates profits?
Yes, if it means they are generating new revenue through innovative means.
Can create imply a sense of artistry?
Yes, create often carries a connotation of artistry and original thought.
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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.
