instinctive
instinctive Lexical Profile
instinctive Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Relating to or prompted by natural instinct rather than conscious thought, training, or deliberation.
"Birds have an instinctive ability to build intricate nests without being taught by their parents."
(Of a person) acting on or guided by natural intuition and impulse rather than formal rules or analysis.
"She is an instinctive musician who can pick up almost any instrument and play a melody by ear."
Word Nuance & Usage
"Instinctive" and "instinctual" are closely related, but "instinctual" is preferred in scientific and psychological contexts to describe fixed biological behaviors, whereas "instinctive" is more common in general usage for any automatic, unpremeditated reaction.
• Rhymes for instinctive
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in the mid-17th century from "instinct" plus the suffix "-ive," ultimately tracing back to the Latin "instinctus" ("instigation" or "impulse"), from "instinguere" ("to impel" or "to goad").