intrinsically

adverb

in·​trin·​si·​cal·​ly in-ˈtrin-zi-k(ə-)lē 

-ˈtrin(t)-si-

: in an intrinsic manner : by natural character : in itself

an intrinsically difficult language

intrinsically evil/valuable

The media do not have to go along with the pretense that there is something intrinsically virtuous about a movement with no leaders.

—David Carr

While etymologies of such terms are intrinsically interesting, they can also serve one of the aims of critical pedagogies …

—Jennifer Beech

Environmentalists have tended to treat big buildings as intrinsically wasteful, because large amounts of energy are expended in their construction, and because the buildings place intensely localized stresses on sewers, power lines, and water systems.

—David Owen

Synonyms

• congenitally
• constitutionally
• inherently
• innately
• naturally

Examples of intrinsically in a Sentence

he's worked hard to be good at baseball, as he's not intrinsically athletic

Recent Examples on the Web

Privacy Implications And Regulatory Compliance Biometric data is intrinsically sensitive. —Rohan Pinto, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025

To watch dancing is intrinsically delightful, and Flanagan, without doing anything exceptional with the camera, conveys a spectatorial sense of that delight. —Richard Brody, New Yorker, 16 June 2025

Gin, lime, and cucumber are intrinsically refreshing (see the Eastside Rickey for more examples of this), with the lime oil and the black pepper providing just enough resistance to be interesting. —Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 7 June 2025

While gin may be intrinsically linked to the United Kingdom these days, there are an untold number of craft distillers across the globe making some fantastic gins loaded with flavor. —Hudson Lindenberger, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1583, in the meaning defined above