instinct

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instinct

innate aspect of behavior; strong impulse; natural capability or aptitude: He acted on instinct.
Not to be confused with:
intuition – knowing without the use of natural processes; acute insight: She had an intuition that her children were in danger.
prescience – knowledge of things before they exist or happen; foresight: He had a prescience that there would be an earthquake.
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree

in·stinct

(ĭn′stĭngkt′)
n.
1. An inborn pattern of behavior that is characteristic of a species and is often a response to specific environmental stimuli: the spawning instinct in salmon; altruistic instincts in social animals.
2. A powerful motivation or impulse.
3. An innate capability or aptitude: an instinct for tact and diplomacy.
adj. (ĭn-stĭngkt′)
1. Deeply filled or imbued: words instinct with love.
2. Obsolete Impelled from within.
[Middle English, from Latin īnstīnctus, impulse, from past participle of īnstinguere, to incite : in-, intensive pref.; see in-2 + stinguere, to prick; see steig- in Indo-European roots.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

instinct

n
1. (Biology) 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
adj
rare
a. animated or impelled (by)
b. imbued or infused (with)
[C15: from Latin instinctus roused, from instinguere to incite; compare instigate]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

in•stinct1

(ˈɪn stɪŋkt)

n.
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.
4. natural intuitive power.
[1375–1425; late Middle English < Latin instinctus prompting, instigation, enthusiasm =*insting(uere) (in- in-2 + *sting(u)ere presumably, to prick; see distinct) + -tus suffix of v. action]

in•stinct2

(ɪnˈstɪŋkt)

adj.
filled or infused with some animating principle (usu. fol. by with): instinct with life.
[1530–40; < Latin instinctus excited, roused, inspired, past participle of *insting(u)ere; see instinct 1]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

in·stinct

(ĭn′stĭngkt′)
An inherited tendency of an organism or species to behave in a certain way that is usually a reaction to something in the environment and that fulfills a basic need. Examples of behaviors that are the result of instinct include nest-building in birds, spawning in fish, and food-gathering in insects.
The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

instinct

Inherited behavior that is not dependent on experience.
Dictionary of Unfamiliar Words by Diagram Group Copyright © 2008 by Diagram Visual Information Limited
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun 1. instinct - inborn pattern of behavior often responsive to specific stimuli; "the spawning instinct in salmon"; "altruistic instincts in social animals"
id - (psychoanalysis) primitive instincts and energies underlying all psychic activity
aptitude - inherent ability
Adj. 1. instinct - (followed by `with')deeply filled or permeated; "imbued with the spirit of the Reformation"; "words instinct with love"; "it is replete with misery"
full - containing as much or as many as is possible or normal; "a full glass"; "a sky full of stars"; "a full life"; "the auditorium was full to overflowing"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

instinct

noun
1. natural inclination, feeling, urge, talent, tendency, faculty, inclination, intuition, knack, aptitude, predisposition, sixth sense, proclivity, gut reaction (informal), second sight I didn't have a strong maternal instinct.
2. talent, skill, gift, capacity, bent, genius, faculty, knack, aptitude She has a natural instinct to perform.
3. intuition, feeling, impulse, gut feeling (informal), sixth sense I should have gone with my first instinct.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

instinct

noun
1. An innate capability:
2. The power to discern the true nature of a person or situation:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
غَرِيزَةٌ غَريزَه
instinktpud
instinkt
vaisto
instinktnagon
ösztön
eîlishvöt
本能
본능
instinktasinstinktyviaiinstinktyvus
instinkts
inštinkt
nagon
instinkt
สัญชาตญาณ
içgüdü insiyaksevkitabii
bản năng

instinct

A. [ˈɪnstɪŋkt] N → instinto m
the instinct for self-preservation → el instinto de conservación or supervivencia
by instinct → por instinto
she had an instinct for attracting the wrong type of man → se las pintaba sola para atraer al tipo de hombre que no le convenía
B. [ɪnˈstɪŋkt] ADJ (liter) instinct with → lleno de, imbuido de
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

instinct

[ˈɪnstɪŋkt] n
(biological) → instinct m
maternal instinct → l'instinct maternel
survival instinct → l'instinct de survie killer instinct
(= inclination) → instinct m
All my instincts were against accepting her offer → Tous mes instincts me criaient de décliner l'offre.
My first instinct was to resign → Mon premier instinct fut de démissionner.
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

instinct

n → Instinkt m; the sex/survival instinct → der Geschlechts-/Überlebenstrieb; by or from instinct → instinktiv ; to have an instinct for business, to have a good business instinct → einen ausgeprägten Geschäftssinn or -instinkt haben; to follow one’s instincts → sich auf seinen Instinkt verlassen
adj (liter) instinct with → erfüllt von
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

instinct

[ˈɪnstɪŋkt] n → istinto
by instinct → per istinto, istintivamente
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

instinct

(ˈinstiŋkt) noun
a natural tendency to behave or react in a particular way, without thinking and without having been taught. As winter approaches, swallows fly south from Britain by instinct; He has an instinct for saying the right thing. instink غَريزَه инстинкт instinto pud, instinkt der Instinkt instinkt ένστικτο, έμφυτη ικανότητα instinto vaist غریزه vaisto instinct חוּש טִבעִי सहज ज्ञान instinkt ösztön naluri, insting eðlishvöt/-ávísun istinto 本能 본능 instinktas instinkts naluri instinct instinkt instynkt غريزه شعور instinto instinct инстинкт inštinkt nagon instinkt instinkt สัญชาตญาณ içgüdü 本能 інстинкт جبلّت انسانی یا حیوانی khuynh hướng bẩn sinh 本能
inˈstinctive (-tiv) adjective
arising from instinct or from a natural ability. Blinking our eyes is an instinctive reaction when something suddenly comes close to them; I couldn't help putting my foot on the brake when I saw the other car coming towards me – it was instinctive. instinktief غَريزي инстинктивен instintivo instinktivní instinktiv instinktiv ενστικτώδης instintivo vaistlik غریزی vaistonvarainen instinctif אִינסטִינקטִיבִי स्वाभाविक instinktivan ösztönös naluriah eðlislægur; ósjálfráður istintivo 本能的な 본능적인 instinktyvus instinktīvs; neapzināts naluriah instinctief instinktiv instynktowny غريزې instintivo instinctiv инстинктивный inštinktívny nagonski instinktivan instinktiv เกี่ยวกับสัญชาตญาณ içgüdüsel 本能的 інстинктивний, підсвідомий جبلّی theo khuynh hướng bẩn sinh 本能的
inˈstinctively adverb
instinktief بصورةٍ غَريزيَّه инстинктивно instintivamente instinktivně instinktiv per instinkt ενστικτωδώς instintivamente vaistlikult بطور غریزی vaistonvaraisesti instinctivement בְּאוֹפֶן אִינסטִינקטִיבִי सहज रूप से instinktivno ösztönösen secara naluriah ósjálfrátt istintivamente 本能的に 본능적으로 instinktyviai instinktīvi; neapzināti secara naluri instinctief instinktivt instynktownie د غریزی په دوله instintivamente (în mod) instinctiv инстинктивно inštinktívne nagonsko instiktivno instinktivt โดยสัญชาตญาณ içgüdüsel olarak 本能地 інстинктивно, підсвідомо جبلّیت سے một cách bẩm sinh 本能地
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

instinct

→ غَرِيزَةٌ instinkt instinkt Instinkt ένστικτο instinto vaisto instinct instinkt istinto 本能 본능 instinct instinkt instynkt instinto инстинкт instinkt สัญชาตญาณ içgüdü bản năng 本能
Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009

in·stinct

n. instinto.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012

instinct

n instinto
English-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
References in classic literature ?
As some degree of variation in instincts under a state of nature, and the inheritance of such variations, are indispensable for the action of natural selection, as many instances as possible ought to have been here given; but want of space prevents me.
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Moreover, "the well-being of the individual and the preservation of the race" is only a usual characteristic, not a universal one, of the sort of movements that, from our point of view, are to be called instinctive; instances of harmful instincts will be given shortly.
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Do I counsel you to slay your instincts? I counsel you to innocence in your instincts.
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You should always pay attention to your instincts."
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The Snake was quickly revived by the warmth, and resuming its natural instincts, bit its benefactor, inflicting on him a mortal wound.
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As the hand descended closer and closer, there raged within the cub a battle of the instincts. He experienced two great impulsions--to yield and to fight.
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Philip's rule of life, to follow one's instincts with due regard to the policeman round the corner, had not acted very well there: it was because Cronshaw had done this that he had made such a lamentable failure of existence.
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The Prince, no doubt, is as faithful to his training and instincts as the young men of our own country.
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First, the instinct of imitation is implanted in man from childhood, one difference between him and other animals being that he is the most imitative of living creatures, and through imitation learns his earliest lessons; and no less universal is the pleasure felt in things imitated.
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"It's instinct. Why, I couldn't no more help reaching my fist to the point of a scab's jaw than could Possum from snappin' at you.
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If I should catch you by the throat, thus,"--his hand was about my throat and my breath was shut off,--"and began to press the life out of you thus, and thus, your instinct of immortality will go glimmering, and your instinct of life, which is longing for life, will flutter up, and you will struggle to save yourself.
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It was this: I asked myself whether there was not in his soul some deep-rooted instinct of creation, which the circumstances of his life had obscured, but which grew relentlessly, as a cancer may grow in the living tissues, till at last it took possession of his whole being and forced him irresistibly to action.
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