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

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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

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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

Hartnett doesn’t just collect the data, he parses it, and his instinct is to go against the current.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

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

From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026

His paintings and ceramics are layered and collage-like, driven by instinct rather than by a predestined end point.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026

He explains rather than simply demonstrates, an instinct that has surprised the coaching staff as much as his football has.

From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026

Both relied on a complex blend of statistics and instinct to crack puzzles.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield

Her glimpses of the uncanny awaken dormant instincts of motherhood.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

Shattock urged women experiencing persistent pain to trust their instincts.

From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026

“You have instincts over what to do in certain situations. This is a new instinct of knowing when to challenge and instinctively within a second, oh, that’s a ball. What’s the situation?”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 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

I’m also interested in those moments when our instincts betray us.

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell

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Related Words

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

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