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instinctive

[ in-stingk-tiv ]
/ ɪnˈstɪŋk tɪv /
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adjective

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.

RELATED WORDS

accustomed, congenital, habitual, impulsive, inborn, ingrained, inherent, innate, intrinsic, intuitive, involuntary, knee-jerk, mechanical, native, natural, normal, regular, rooted, spontaneous, typical

Nearby words

  1. instil,
  2. instill,
  3. instillation,
  4. instillator,
  5. instinct,
  6. instinctively,
  7. instinctual,
  8. institute,
  9. instituter,
  10. institutes
Also in·stinc·tu·al [in-stingk-choo-uhl] /ɪnˈstɪŋk tʃu əl/.

Origin of instinctive

First recorded in 1640–50; instinct1 + -ive
Related forms
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for instinctual

British Dictionary definitions for instinctual

instinctive

instinctual

/ (ɪnˈstɪŋktɪv) /

adjective

of, relating to, or resulting from instinct
conditioned so as to appear innatean instinctive movement in driving
Derived Formsinstinctively or instinctually, adverb
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
Word Origin and History for instinctual
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper