instinctive

adjective

in·​stinc·​tive in-ˈstiŋ(k)-tiv How to pronounce instinctive (audio)
Synonyms of instinctivenext
1
: of, relating to, or being instinct
2
: prompted by natural instinct or propensity : arising spontaneously
an instinctive fear of innovation— V. L. Parrington
instinctively adverb

Synonyms

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spontaneous, impulsive, instinctive, automatic, mechanical mean acting or activated without deliberation.

spontaneous implies lack of prompting and connotes naturalness.

a spontaneous burst of applause

impulsive implies acting under stress of emotion or spirit of the moment.

impulsive acts of violence

instinctive stresses action involving neither judgment nor will.

blinking is an instinctive reaction

automatic implies action engaging neither the mind nor the emotions and connotes a predictable response.

his denial was automatic

mechanical stresses the lifeless, often perfunctory character of the response.

a mechanical teaching method

Examples of instinctive in a Sentence

Cats have an instinctive desire to hunt. the instinctive reaction of a mother is to protect her children
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
As the self-sufficient adolescent Ari, Bateman delivers a performance wise beyond her years, with whip-smart comedic and dramatic timing born from instinctive avoidance. — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 17 Mar. 2025 Reasons Why Yelling at Kids Doesn't Work Yelling at your kids often feels like an instinctive reaction when anger or frustration takes over. — Daryl Austin, Parents, 14 Mar. 2025 But while Greenlaw was an instinctive and fast learner who started 14 games as a rookie, including 73 snaps in the Super Bowl, Winters has been slower in developing. — Matt Barrows, The Athletic, 11 Mar. 2025 Shift from instinctive meaning-making to intentional meaning-making. — Mark Travers, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for instinctive

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of instinctive was in the 15th century

Rhymes for instinctive

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instinctive
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Cite this Entry

“Instinctive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/instinctive. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.

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Kids Definition

instinctive

adjective
in·​stinc·​tive in-ˈstiŋ(k)-tiv How to pronounce instinctive (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or being instinct
2
: resulting from or caused by instinct
instinctively adverb

Medical Definition

instinctive

adjective
in·​stinc·​tive in-ˈstiŋ(k)-tiv How to pronounce instinctive (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or being instinct
2
: derived from or prompted by instinct
an instinctive fear
instinctively adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on instinctive

Nglish: Translation of instinctive for Spanish Speakers

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