instinct

¹ American  

[in-stingkt] / ˈɪn stɪŋkt /

noun

• instincts
  plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• instincts
  plural

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” ( cf. distinct, instigate)

Origin of instinct²

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

Explanation

An instinct is something you don't need to learn — it happens naturally, without you even thinking about it. Babies cry by instinct, and ducks follow their mother by instinct. Animals and humans learn a lot of things from other animals and humans. But if there isn't any learning involved, then the behavior is an instinct. Instincts come naturally, like a baby's desire to feed. Some behaviors are a combination of instinct and learned behavior, like language. Others happen without any teaching at all, like the instinct to run when you see a big, hungry looking bear. When you see the word instinct, think natural response.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

instinct instincts

David proved "his instinct for showmanship", Schatz said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026

The cartoon turned the dynamic into an armed raid by cereal characters, but the basic instinct — watch a useful moral vocabulary become commercially useful — was already recognizable.

From Salon ● Sep. 18, 2026

She told him about "fire engines and people running around" and his "news instinct kicked in" and he travelled to the scene to document the events on camera.

From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026

It was the same instinct that led him to pen and direct Barbarian, about an Airbnb stay gone very wrong.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026

His first instinct was to call it a snake, a name largely attributed to its thick serpentine body and dark brown scales.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray

Ashe pleads with her younger self to trust her instincts.

From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026

Coleman, at 170 pounds and the cousin of former Newbury Park quarterback Brady Smigiel, didn’t become a quarterback without having some quick instincts and intelligence.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026

Even in his lowest moments, Evan’s humor and instincts never wavered.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026

Kritenbrink, for his part, said the summit has done "nothing to curb the competitive instincts of both sides on AI."

From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026

Make a play for it, my instincts screamed.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover

Related Words

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