adjective
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of or relating to the essential nature of a thing; inherent
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anatomy situated within or peculiar to a part
intrinsic muscles
Synonym Usage
See essential.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of intrinsic
First recorded in 1480–90; Middle English intrinsique “inner,” from Old French intrinseque “internal, inner,” from Late Latin intrinsecus “inward” (adjective), from Latin intrinsecus “on the inside, inwards” (adverb), equivalent to intrin- (from int(e)r-, as in interior + -im, an old accusative ending used as an adverb suffix + secus “beside,” derivative of sequī “to follow”)
Compare meaning
How does intrinsic compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
The intrinsic qualities of something have to do with its nature. An intrinsic quality of dogs is that they're loyal. Anything intrinsic comes from within. Doing a job for only money is not intrinsic. Doing a job because you love it is intrinsic; the motivation comes from within. It's good to treat people as having intrinsic value. If you like someone for intrinsic reasons, then you have no other motivation. The opposite of intrinsic is extrinsic, for things that come from the outside instead of from the inside.
Vocabulary lists containing intrinsic
100 SAT Words Beginning with "I"
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30 GRE Words Beginning with "I"
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Essential English Vocabulary, List 5
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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.
“Solstice,” where he shares writing credits with Patti Smith, possesses the same kind of metaphysical shimmer that’s often intrinsic to a Patti Smith composition.
From Salon ● Jul. 29, 2026
Money flows, people “work” long hours, but no one produces anything of intrinsic value.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
It’s a step beyond what he called the 3.0 platform/ecosystem models like Amazon, whose heavy investments have often depressed profits to gain more intrinsic value later.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
Because these explosions reach nearly the same intrinsic brightness, astronomers use them as "standard candles": by comparing their actual brightness with how bright they appear from Earth, researchers can calculate their distance.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 29, 2026
In cross-country competition, training counted more than intrinsic ability, and I could compensate for a lack of natural aptitude with diligence and discipline.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
