instinct
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instinct
innate aspect of behavior; strong impulse; natural capability or aptitude: He acted on instinct.
Not to be confused with:
intuition – knowing without the use of natural processes; acute insight: She had an intuition that her children were in danger.
prescience – knowledge of things before they exist or happen; foresight: He had a prescience that there would be an earthquake.
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree
in·stinct
(ĭn′stĭngkt′)n.
1. An inborn pattern of behavior that is characteristic of a species and is often a response to specific environmental stimuli: the spawning instinct in salmon; altruistic instincts in social animals.
2. A powerful motivation or impulse.
3. An innate capability or aptitude: an instinct for tact and diplomacy.
adj. (ĭn-stĭngkt′)
1. Deeply filled or imbued: words instinct with love.
2. Obsolete Impelled from within.
[Middle English, from Latin īnstīnctus, impulse, from past participle of īnstinguere, to incite : in-, intensive pref.; see in-2 + stinguere, to prick; see steig- in Indo-European roots.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
instinct
n
1. (Biology) 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
adj
rare
a. animated or impelled (by)
b. imbued or infused (with)
[C15: from Latin instinctus roused, from instinguere to incite; compare instigate]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
in•stinct1
(ˈɪn stɪŋkt)n.
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.
4. natural intuitive power.
[1375–1425; late Middle English < Latin instinctus prompting, instigation, enthusiasm =*insting(uere) (in- in-2 + *sting(u)ere presumably, to prick; see distinct) + -tus suffix of v. action]
in•stinct2
(ɪnˈstɪŋkt)adj.
filled or infused with some animating principle (usu. fol. by with): instinct with life.
[1530–40; < Latin instinctus excited, roused, inspired, past participle of *insting(u)ere; see instinct1]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
in·stinct
(ĭn′stĭngkt′) An inherited tendency of an organism or species to behave in a certain way that is usually a reaction to something in the environment and that fulfills a basic need. Examples of behaviors that are the result of instinct include nest-building in birds, spawning in fish, and food-gathering in insects.
The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
instinct
Inherited behavior that is not dependent on experience.
Dictionary of Unfamiliar Words by Diagram Group Copyright © 2008 by Diagram Visual Information Limited
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
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Noun | 1. | instinct - inborn pattern of behavior often responsive to specific stimuli; "the spawning instinct in salmon"; "altruistic instincts in social animals" id - (psychoanalysis) primitive instincts and energies underlying all psychic activity aptitude - inherent ability |
Adj. | 1. | instinct - (followed by `with')deeply filled or permeated; "imbued with the spirit of the Reformation"; "words instinct with love"; "it is replete with misery" full - containing as much or as many as is possible or normal; "a full glass"; "a sky full of stars"; "a full life"; "the auditorium was full to overflowing" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
instinct
noun
1. natural inclination, feeling, urge, talent, tendency, faculty, inclination, intuition, knack, aptitude, predisposition, sixth sense, proclivity, gut reaction (informal), second sight I didn't have a strong maternal instinct.
2. talent, skill, gift, capacity, bent, genius, faculty, knack, aptitude She has a natural instinct to perform.
3. intuition, feeling, impulse, gut feeling (informal), sixth sense I should have gone with my first instinct.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
instinct
noun1. An innate capability:
2. The power to discern the true nature of a person or situation:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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Spanish / Español
instinct
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
instinct
(ˈinstiŋkt) noun a natural tendency to behave or react in a particular way, without thinking and without having been taught. As winter approaches, swallows fly south from Britain by instinct; He has an instinct for saying the right thing.instinto
inˈstinctive (-tiv) adjective arising from instinct or from a natural ability. Blinking our eyes is an instinctive reaction when something suddenly comes close to them; I couldn't help putting my foot on the brake when I saw the other car coming towards me – it was instinctive.instintivo
inˈstinctively adverbKernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
instinct
→ instintoMultilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
in·stinct
n. instinto.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
instinct
n instintoEnglish-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.