innate

[ ih-neyt, in-eyt ]

See synonyms for innate on Thesaurus.com

adjective

existing in one from birth; inborn; native: innate musical talent.
inherent in the essential character of something: an innate defect in the hypothesis.

originating in or arising from the intellect or the constitution of the mind, rather than learned through experience: an innate knowledge of good and evil.

Origin of innate

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin innātus “inborn,” past participle of innāscī “to be born, arise,” equivalent to in- in-² + nāscī “to be born”; cf. nascent, nativity

synonym study For innate

1. Innate, inborn, congenital, hereditary describe qualities, characteristics, or possessions acquired before or at the time of birth. Innate, of Latin origin, and inborn, a native English word, share the literal basic sense “existing at the time of birth,” and they are interchangeable in most contexts: innate (or inborn ) stodginess, agility, gracefulness. Congenital refers most often to characteristics acquired during fetal development, especially defects or undesirable conditions: a congenital deformity; congenital blindness. Hereditary describes qualities or things passed on from ancestors, either through the genes or by social or legal means: Hemophilia is a hereditary condition; a hereditary title.

Other words for innate

1	natural, congenital

See synonyms for innate on Thesaurus.com

Other words from innate

in·nate·ly, adverb
in·nate·ness, noun
un·in·nate, adjective
un·in·nate·ness, noun

Words that may be confused with innate

inchoate, innate

Words Nearby innate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use innate in a sentence

Mouse organs sent to space also had higher levels of RNAs that play a role in the body’s innate immunity.
Space travel may harm health by damaging cells’ powerhouses | Jack J. Lee | February 5, 2021 | Science News For Students
I have always had this innate passion for helping others, and that along with my entrepreneurial spirit, I knew I wanted to do something good for motherhood.
The future of maternity workwear is all in the details | Rachel King | January 31, 2021 | Fortune
There's an innate immune response that is triggered when cells sense they're infected.
The persistence of memory in B cells: Hints of stability in COVID immunity | John Timmer | January 20, 2021 | Ars Technica
When animals are routinely attracted to humans and their food, they often become habituated to human presence, meaning they lose their innate fear of us.
Once you know what happens to food you leave outdoors, you’ll stop doing it | Alisha McDarris | January 14, 2021 | Popular-Science
When Lohmann dropped newly hatched turtles into these conditions, they swam into the waves, just as their innate programming instructed them to—and as a result, they went the wrong way.
How Sea Turtles Find Their Way - Issue 94: Evolving | Jason G. Goldman | December 16, 2020 | Nautilus

Now, 42 percent believe that it is innate and 37 percent hold that it is environmental—hardly a massive shift in popular opinion.
The Problematic Hunt for a ‘Gay Gene’ | Samantha Allen | November 20, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
“Kit has an innate confidence and projects a playfully rebellious nature,” the brand's creative director, Sandra Choi, said.
Beyonce Named Most Powerful Celebrity; Kanye West is Back at A.P.C. | The Fashion Beast Team | July 1, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
These approaches are critical as they strive to fix the innate issue: spinal cord damage.
The Bionic Exoskeleton Helping Paraplegics Walk | Dr. Anand Veeravagu, MD | June 29, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The willing masochism of being an England supporter is innate.
England Eliminated From World Cup 2014: The ‘Years of Hurt’ Continue | Tim Teeman | June 20, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
You could hear White's innate pop orientation at the Fonda show as well.
Is Jack White the Last True Rock Star? | Andrew Romano | June 13, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
She is always attired in black, and is utterly careless in dress, yet nothing can conceal her innate elegance of figure.
Music-Study in Germany | Amy Fay
He had the innate slant of mind that properly belongs to a moderator of mass meetings called to aggravate a crisis.
The Eve of the Revolution | Carl Becker
But Weirmarsh, with his innate cunning, presented to him a picture of exposure and degradation which held him horrified.
The Doctor of Pimlico | William Le Queux
But it was his kindliness of heart, and above all his innate sense of humour, which appealed most to Peter Ilich.
The Life & Letters of Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky | Modeste Tchaikovsky
Herein Queeker exhibited the innate tendency of the human heart to deceive itself.
The Floating Light of the Goodwin Sands | R.M. Ballantyne

British Dictionary definitions for innate

innate

/ (ɪˈneɪt, ˈɪneɪt) /

adjective

existing in a person or animal from birth; congenital; inborn
being an essential part of the character of a person or thing

instinctive; not learned: innate capacities
botany (of anthers) joined to the filament by the base only
(in rationalist philosophy) (of ideas) present in the mind before any experience and knowable by pure reason

Origin of innate

C15: from Latin, from innascī to be born in, from nascī to be born

Derived forms of innate

innately, adverb
innateness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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