instinctive
Americanadjective
-
of, relating to, or of the nature of instinct.
-
prompted by or resulting from or as if from instinct; natural; unlearned.
an instinctive will to survive.
- Synonyms:
- unpremeditated, intuitive, spontaneous
adjective
-
of, relating to, or resulting from instinct
-
conditioned so as to appear innate
an instinctive movement in driving
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of instinctive
First recorded in 1640–50; instinct 1 + -ive
Explanation
The adjective instinctive describes something you do without thinking about it. If you have an instinctive desire to help animals, you might automatically stop your car to pick up every stray dog you see. Something that is instinctive occurs naturally, the way babies know how to cry and suck as soon as they're born. Adults also have instinctive reflexes — like yawning, or the reflex that makes you kick your leg when the doctor hits your knee with a rubber mallet. Sometimes your instinctive reflexes can save your life — like when the "fight or flight" instinct warns you that danger is present.
Vocabulary lists containing instinctive
List 1
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"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 26–31
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"The Veldt" by Ray Bradbury
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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.
DJ Ali Shaheed Muhammad and MC Jarobi White joined by the time they recorded their debut, 1990’s “People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm.”
From Washington Post • Jan. 25, 2019
Phife appeared on a handful of songs on the group’s 1990 debut, “People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm,” but he was on equal footing on the group’s later albums.
From New York Times • Mar. 23, 2016
Phife was on just four songs of Tribe’s debut record, “People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm,” but it’s hard to imagine the album without him.
From Salon • Mar. 23, 2016
Queens' A Tribe Called Quest, who fluctuated between quartet and trio as MC Jarobi came and went, released its first full-length in 1990 with "People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm."
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 23, 2016
At least five different organizations had sent soldiers-for-hire into the city, including Israeli mercenaries from a firm called Instinctive Shooting International.
From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers
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.
