instinctive
Americanadjective
-
of, relating to, or of the nature of instinct.
-
prompted by or resulting from or as if from instinct; natural; unlearned.
an instinctive will to survive.
- Synonyms:
- unpremeditated, intuitive, spontaneous
adjective
-
of, relating to, or resulting from instinct
-
conditioned so as to appear innate
an instinctive movement in driving
Other Word Forms
- half-instinctive adjective
- instinctively adverb
- instinctually adverb
- noninstinctive adjective
- noninstinctual adjective
- semi-instinctive adjective
- uninstinctive adjective
- uninstinctiveness noun
Etymology
Origin of instinctive
First recorded in 1640–50; instinct 1 + -ive
Explanation
The adjective instinctive describes something you do without thinking about it. If you have an instinctive desire to help animals, you might automatically stop your car to pick up every stray dog you see. Something that is instinctive occurs naturally, the way babies know how to cry and suck as soon as they're born. Adults also have instinctive reflexes — like yawning, or the reflex that makes you kick your leg when the doctor hits your knee with a rubber mallet. Sometimes your instinctive reflexes can save your life — like when the "fight or flight" instinct warns you that danger is present.
Vocabulary lists containing instinctive
List 1
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"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 26–31
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"The Veldt" by Ray Bradbury
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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.
“When you’re instinctive, you’re tough and you catch everything, that’s a pretty high floor. Absolute worst case, you’re going to have a steady, dependable, reliable player.”
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 12, 2026
“He has an instinctive appreciation of the Disney brand, and a deep understanding of what resonates with our audiences.”
From MarketWatch • Feb. 3, 2026
In fact, the creature possesses an instinctive benevolence, which is corrupted by rejection.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026
It is instinctive -- I give my teammate the ball.
From Barron's • Jan. 6, 2026
For one thing, instinctive judgments rely on experience, and we don’t experience everything that happens on a basketball court or a baseball diamond.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
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.
