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

Yet to listen to the brisk and sportive “Foreign Tongues” is to hear a band clearly going on instinct rather than overthinking the music à la any number of veteran acts in legacy-maintenance mode.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 10, 2026

Norway's first instinct is to play short, often setting up with a wide back four and the keeper forming a fifth option, with two holding midfielders showing for the ball centrally.

From BBC • Jul. 10, 2026

After Ruffin and his wife, Jonni Miller, lost their 1942 bungalow, his first instinct was to rebuild it exactly as it was.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 7, 2026

“It’s an instinct for knowing when it tastes right and when it doesn’t.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 30, 2026

When my mother died and was cremated herself, we worried that, acting on instinct, our father might run out and immediately replace her.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris

Related Words

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