innate

[ih-neyt, in-eyt]

adjective

1. existing in one from birth; inborn; native.

   innate musical talent.

   Synonyms: congenital, natural

2. inherent in the essential character of something.

   an innate defect in the hypothesis.

3. 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.

innate

/ ɪˈneɪt, ˈɪneɪt /

adjective

1. existing in a person or animal from birth; congenital; inborn

2. being an essential part of the character of a person or thing

3. instinctive; not learned

   innate capacities

4. botany (of anthers) joined to the filament by the base only

5. (in rationalist philosophy) (of ideas) present in the mind before any experience and knowable by pure reason

Other Word Forms

• innately adverb
• innateness noun
• uninnate adjective
• uninnateness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of innate¹

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”; nascent, nativity

Word History and Origins

Origin of innate¹

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

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

The proximity to humans could signal that the creatures are growing more comfortable around us, or, scientifically speaking, dampening their innate flight responses, according to the study published in the journal Frontiers in Zoology.

Read more on BBC

Baby panda cubs are not born with an innate set of survival skills.

Read more on Literature

NETs are produced through a specialised form of innate immune response known as NETosis, whereby neutrophils expel their DNA to form filamentous structures embedded with cytotoxic enzymes capable of rapidly trapping and neutralizing pathogens.

Read more on Science Daily

In Grace, Lawrence finds the optimal vehicle for her innate physicality as a performer, tapping into the character’s increasingly beleaguered mindset with tremendous human vulnerability.

Read more on Salon

Mr. Sowell emphasized this repeatedly: The same innate ability can produce different outcomes depending on the norms that surround it.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• deep-seated 
• elemental 
• inborn 
• ingrained 
• inherent 
• instinctive 
• intrinsic 
• intuitive