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second nature
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noun
an acquired habit or tendency in one's character that is so deeply ingrained as to appear automatic: Neatness is second nature to him.
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Origin of second nature
First recorded in 1655–65
Words nearby second nature
second mate, secondment, second messenger, second mortgage, second name, second nature, secondo, second of arc, second papers, second person, second position
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use second nature in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for second nature
second nature
noun
a habit, characteristic, etc, not innate but so long practised or acquired as to seem so
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
Other Idioms and Phrases with second nature
second nature
A habit or mode of behavior so long practiced that it seems innate, as in Driving in heavy traffic is second nature to Chris. This expression is a shortened form of an ancient proverb, Custom (or usage) is a second nature, first recorded in 1390. It alludes to the fact that very frequently repeating something makes it seem completely natural or inborn.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.