instinct

¹ American  

[in-stingkt] / ˈɪn stɪŋkt /

noun

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.

   Synonyms:

   talent, faculty, knack, genius

4. natural intuitive power.

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instinct ² American  

[in-stingkt] / ɪnˈstɪŋkt /

adjective

1. filled or infused with some animating principle (usually followed bywith ).

   instinct with life.

2. Obsolete. animated by some inner force.

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instinct British  

noun

1. 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

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adjective

1. rare

   1. animated or impelled (by)

   2. imbued or infused (with)

instinct Scientific  

/ ĭn′stĭngkt′ /

1. An inherited tendency of an organism to behave in a certain way, usually in reaction to its environment and for the purpose of fulfilling a specific need. The development and performance of instinctive behavior does not depend upon the specific details of an individual's learning experiences. Instead, instinctive behavior develops in the same way for all individuals of the same species or of the same sex of a species. For example, birds will build the form of nest typical of their species although they may never have seen such a nest being built before. Some butterfly species undertake long migrations to wintering grounds that they have never seen. Behavior in animals often reflects the influence of a combination of instinct and learning. The basic song pattern of many bird species is inherited, but it is often refined by learning from other members of the species. Dogs that naturally seek to gather animals such as sheep or cattle into a group are said to have a herding instinct, but the effective use of this instinct by the dog also requires learning on the dog's part. Instinct, as opposed to reflex, is usually used of inherited behavior patterns that are more complex or sometimes involve a degree of interaction with learning processes.

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instinct Cultural  

1. Behavior that is not learned but passed between generations by heredity.

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Etymology

Origin of instinct¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin instinctus “prompting, instigation, enthusiasm,” noun use of past participle of insting(uere) “to excite, incite, rouse,” from in- in- ² + -stinguere, presumably, “to prick, mark by pricking” ( distinct, instigate )

Origin of instinct²

First recorded in 1530–40; from Latin instinctus “excited, inspired,” past participle of instinguere “to excite, incite, rouse”; instinct ¹

Example Sentences

If only they’d heeded their instinct to keep quiet.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

There isn’t anywhere else that one can walk into and immediately satisfy the social instinct among a convivial and refreshingly diverse clientele in what is becoming an increasingly homogenized locality.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

Joao Paulo Sampaio, head of the club's academy, explains that their work focuses on preserving the instinct at the heart of Brazilian footballers.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

After Eva and Ryland briefly ruminate on fear and primal instinct, Ryland’s otherwise direct and unemotional government superior takes to the mic, performing a cover of Harry Styles’ “Sign of the Times.”

From Salon • Mar. 21, 2026

I stared at that hand for a half second before acting on instinct and harebrained desperation.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

Related Words

• aptitude
• feeling
• hunch
• impulse
• inclination
• intuition
• knack
• savvy
• sense
• sentiment
• talent
• tendency