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.
He is intrinsically linked to a dark period in the club's history, whether he knew about the spying or not.
From BBC • May 21, 2026
Tonatiuh: Well, the two films are intrinsically connected.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 11, 2025
"Congression, the alignment of chromosomes, is intrinsically linked to biorientation," says Tolić.
From Science Daily • Dec. 10, 2025
These two Chelsea players are grouped together because they were both signed in 2023, seven months apart, and their success is intrinsically linked.
From BBC • Nov. 25, 2025
Because I wrongly imagined that English was intrinsically a public language and Spanish an intrinsically private one, I easily noted the difference between classroom language and the language of home.
From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez
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.
