instinctive

adjective

in·​stinc·​tive in-ˈstiŋ(k)-tiv 

1

: of, relating to, or being instinct

2

: prompted by natural instinct or propensity : arising spontaneously

an instinctive fear of innovation

—V. L. Parrington

instinctively adverb

Synonyms

• automatic
• instinctual
• involuntary
• knee-jerk
• mechanic
• mechanical
• robotic
• spontaneous

Choose the Right Synonym for instinctive

spontaneous, impulsive, instinctive, automatic, mechanical mean acting or activated without deliberation.

spontaneous implies lack of prompting and connotes naturalness.

a spontaneous burst of applause

impulsive implies acting under stress of emotion or spirit of the moment.

impulsive acts of violence

instinctive stresses action involving neither judgment nor will.

blinking is an instinctive reaction

automatic implies action engaging neither the mind nor the emotions and connotes a predictable response.

his denial was automatic

mechanical stresses the lifeless, often perfunctory character of the response.

a mechanical teaching method

Examples of instinctive in a Sentence

Cats have an instinctive desire to hunt.

the instinctive reaction of a mother is to protect her children

Recent Examples on the Web

Another instinctive reaction to tariff announcements is shifting sourcing and manufacturing back to the United States. —Jim Deloach, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025

This show should finally set the record straight: here is an American visionary whose obsessive paintings are at once stylized and crudely instinctive, achieving a kind of cryptic simplicity that might be called folk surrealism. —Jeremy Lybarger, ARTnews.com, 26 Mar. 2025

Knowledge workers have an instinctive understanding of what constitutes real work because peers who are able to do more or better real work get paid more and have more impressive job titles, even in today’s environment. —Mark Settle, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025

Decision-making was instinctive, risk tolerance was high, and market feedback loops were significantly shorter. —Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 19 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for instinctive

• distinctive

Kids Definition

instinctive

adjective

in·​stinc·​tive in-ˈstiŋ(k)-tiv 

1

: of, relating to, or being instinct

2

: resulting from or caused by instinct

instinctively adverb

Medical Definition

instinctive

adjective

in·​stinc·​tive in-ˈstiŋ(k)-tiv 

1

: of, relating to, or being instinct

2

: derived from or prompted by instinct

an instinctive fear

instinctively adverb