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Synonyms

instinct

1 American  
[in-stingkt] / ˈɪn stɪŋkt /

noun

  1. an inborn pattern of activity or tendency to action common to a given biological species.

  2. a natural or innate impulse, inclination, or tendency.

  3. a natural aptitude or gift.

    an instinct for making money.
    Synonyms:
    talent, faculty, knack, genius

  4. natural intuitive power.

instinct 2 American  
[in-stingkt] / ɪnˈstɪŋkt /

adjective

  1. filled or infused with some animating principle (usually followed bywith ).

    instinct with life.

  2. Obsolete. animated by some inner force.

instinct British  

noun

  1. the innate capacity of an animal to respond to a given stimulus in a relatively fixed way

  2. inborn intuitive power

  3. a natural and apparently innate aptitude

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. rare

    1. animated or impelled (by)

    2. imbued or infused (with)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
instinct Scientific  
/ ĭn′stĭngkt′ /

  1. An inherited tendency of an organism to behave in a certain way, usually in reaction to its environment and for the purpose of fulfilling a specific need. The development and performance of instinctive behavior does not depend upon the specific details of an individual's learning experiences. Instead, instinctive behavior develops in the same way for all individuals of the same species or of the same sex of a species. For example, birds will build the form of nest typical of their species although they may never have seen such a nest being built before. Some butterfly species undertake long migrations to wintering grounds that they have never seen. Behavior in animals often reflects the influence of a combination of instinct and learning. The basic song pattern of many bird species is inherited, but it is often refined by learning from other members of the species. Dogs that naturally seek to gather animals such as sheep or cattle into a group are said to have a herding instinct, but the effective use of this instinct by the dog also requires learning on the dog's part. Instinct, as opposed to reflex, is usually used of inherited behavior patterns that are more complex or sometimes involve a degree of interaction with learning processes.

instinct Cultural  

  1. Behavior that is not learned but passed between generations by heredity.

Etymology

Origin of instinct1

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin instinctus “prompting, instigation, enthusiasm,” noun use of past participle of insting(uere) “to excite, incite, rouse,” from in- in- 2 + -stinguere, presumably, “to prick, mark by pricking” ( distinct, instigate )

Origin of instinct2

First recorded in 1530–40; from Latin instinctus “excited, inspired,” past participle of instinguere “to excite, incite, rouse”; instinct 1

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.

“Modern hyper-convenience is a kind of deal with the devil. It is seductive because it appeals to our instincts, but it surreptitiously depletes us,” Curmi states.

From Salon

The table below, which has been updated over the years by a team of Deutsche Bank strategists, shows that this instinct is well-grounded in history.

From MarketWatch

The instinct of most national governments is to protect their own defence industries, even at the expense of their neighbours.

From BBC

And also to steer herself through well-intended advice, both personal and professional, to follow her instincts.

From Los Angeles Times

When these women hear about unusual murders that summer, they don’t brush them off; instead, following instincts borne out of their own experiences, they investigate as best they can and eventually discover the killer.

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.