of, relating to, or resulting from instinct conditioned so as to appear innate: an instinctive movement in driving
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
in•stinc•tive /ɪnˈstɪnktəv/USA pronunciation
adj. done or performed by instinct:instinctive mating patterns. See -stin-.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025- done or felt without thinking or considering:an instinctive feeling of distrust; Babies have an instinctive fear of falling.
in•stinc•tive
(in stingk′tiv),USA pronunciation adj.
in•stinc′tive•ly, in•stinc′tu•al•ly, adv.
- of, pertaining to, or of the nature of instinct.
- prompted by or resulting from or as if from instinct; natural;
unlearned:an instinctive will to survive.
- instinct1 + -ive 1640–50
- 2.See corresponding entry in Unabridged spontaneous, intuitive, unpremeditated.
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