- of, or having the nature of, instinct
- prompted or done by or as if by instinct
adjective
The definition of instinctive is something ingrained or something you just know, rather than something you have to be taught.
A mother's love for her baby is an example of something that would be described as instinctive.
YourDictionary definition and usage example. Copyright © 2018 by LoveToKnow Corp
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"instinctive." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 18 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Instinctive>.
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instinctive. (n.d.). Retrieved January 18th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Instinctive
instinctive
Webster's New World College Dictionary, Fifth Edition Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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"instinctive." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 18 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Instinctive>.
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instinctive. (n.d.). Retrieved January 18th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Instinctive
instinctive
adjective
- Of, relating to, or prompted by instinct: an instinctive ability to build a nest.
- a. Arising from impulse or natural inclination; done without thought or conscious effort; spontaneous: an instinctive sympathy for the downtrodden.b. Being such by natural inclination rather than conscious effort or study: “Both men were instinctive masters at seizing unexpected openings and turning them into victories” ( Nick Kotz )
Related Forms:
- in·stinc′tive·ly
adverb
THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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MLA Style
"instinctive." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 18 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Instinctive>.
APA Style
instinctive. (n.d.). Retrieved January 18th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Instinctive
instinctive
instinctive instinctual intuitive visceral
These adjectives mean derived from or prompted by a natural tendency or impulse: an instinctive fear of snakes; instinctual behavior; an intuitive perception; visceral revulsion.
See Also Synonyms at spontaneous.THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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MLA Style
"instinctive." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 18 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Instinctive>.
APA Style
instinctive. (n.d.). Retrieved January 18th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Instinctive
Adjective
(comparative more instinctive, superlative most instinctive)
- related to or prompted by instinct
- driven by impulse, spontaneous and without thinking.
English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.
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Cite this page
MLA Style
"instinctive." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 18 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Instinctive>.
APA Style
instinctive. (n.d.). Retrieved January 18th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Instinctive
