intrinsically
Americanadverb
Etymology
Origin of intrinsically
First recorded in 1545–55; intrinsic ( def. ) + -ally ( def. )
Explanation
Use the adverb intrinsically to describe things that are a vital, important, or natural part of something. For example, great teachers are intrinsically associated with a great school. Something that is intrinsic is an essential part of a whole, so intrinsically describes something closely connected to or inseparable from something. For example, if you believe people are intrinsically good, you think goodness is a part of being human. The Latin root is intrinsecus, which means "inwardly, on the inside."
Vocabulary lists containing intrinsically
George Washington's Farewell Address (1796)
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Freakonomics
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167 Vocabulary words from the Supreme Court's DOMA Decision
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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.
“Ultimately, we are trying to pay homage to the bus tour format, which is intrinsically ‘carny,’” Misraje said, likening himself to a carnival barker espousing aesthetic philosophy aboard an ever-changing “Ship of Theseus.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026
"It was an odd feeling to feel positive about an acknowledgement of something that was so intrinsically negative," she says.
From BBC ● Apr. 29, 2026
His answer, that cloud computing “is not intrinsically privileged in any case,” is a non sequitur.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 6, 2026
"It's clear evidence that it's possible to reverse, intrinsically, certain age-associated disorders," Pinho said.
From Science Daily ● Dec. 31, 2025
There is nothing intrinsically poisonous about endotoxin, but it must look awful, or feel awful, when sensed by cells.
From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas
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.
