innate
Americanadjective
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existing in one from birth; inborn; native.
innate musical talent.
- Synonyms:
- congenital, natural
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inherent in the essential character of something.
an innate defect in the hypothesis.
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originating in or arising from the intellect or the constitution of the mind, rather than learned through experience.
an innate knowledge of good and evil.
adjective
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existing in a person or animal from birth; congenital; inborn
-
being an essential part of the character of a person or thing
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instinctive; not learned
innate capacities
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botany (of anthers) joined to the filament by the base only
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(in rationalist philosophy) (of ideas) present in the mind before any experience and knowable by pure reason
Related Words
Innate, inborn, congenital, hereditary describe qualities, characteristics, or possessions acquired before or at the time of birth. Innate, of Latin origin, and inborn, a native English word, share the literal basic sense “existing at the time of birth,” and they are interchangeable in most contexts: innate (or inborn ) stodginess, agility, gracefulness. Congenital refers most often to characteristics acquired during fetal development, especially defects or undesirable conditions: a congenital deformity; congenital blindness. Hereditary describes qualities or things passed on from ancestors, either through the genes or by social or legal means: Hemophilia is a hereditary condition; a hereditary title.
Other Word Forms
- innately adverb
- innateness noun
- uninnate adjective
- uninnateness noun
Etymology
Origin of innate
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin innātus “inborn,” past participle of innāscī “to be born, arise,” equivalent to in- in- 2 + nāscī “to be born”; nascent, nativity
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
This misinterpretation activates the cell's innate immune system, creating a false alarm that can lead to inflammation and disease.
From Science Daily
By doing so, it links the body's two main defense systems -- innate and adaptive immunity -- into a coordinated and longer lasting response.
From Science Daily
How much sleep you need—and the timing—is innate.
Clara Davis, an influential pediatrician, taught that children possessed innate wisdom, and thus their preferences and cravings were a better guide to what they should eat than the dreary and tyrannical “dosage method.”
They display an innate curiosity and astonishing degrees of empathy, intelligence and perceptiveness, with subjects ranging from public and social institutions to cultural and specialized spaces and the minutiae of human interactions.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
