Search results
- DictionaryIn·stinct
noun
- 1. an innate, typically fixed pattern of behavior in animals in response to certain stimuli: "birds have an instinct to build nests"
adjective
- 1. imbued or filled with (a quality, especially a desirable one): formal "these canvases are instinct with passion"
An instinct is something you don't need to learn — it happens naturally, without you even thinking about it. Babies cry by instinct, and ducks follow their mother by instinct. Animals and humans learn a lot of things from other animals and humans.
instinct, an inborn impulse or motivation to action typically performed in response to specific external stimuli. Today instinct is generally described as a stereotyped, apparently unlearned, genetically determined behaviour pattern.
noun. /ˈɪnstɪŋkt/ [uncountable, countable] a natural quality that makes people and animals tend to behave in a particular way using the knowledge and abilities that they were born with rather than thought or training. She did not seem to have any of the usual maternal instincts.
May 6, 2024 · instinct in American English. (ˈɪnˌstɪŋkt ; for adj. ɪnˈstɪŋkt ; ˈɪnˌstɪŋkt ) noun. 1. (an) inborn tendency to behave in a way characteristic of a species; natural, unlearned, predictable response to stimuli. suckling is an instinct in mammals. 2. a natural or acquired tendency, aptitude, or talent; bent; knack; gift.
Definition of instinct – Learner’s Dictionary. instinct. noun [ C, U ] uk / ˈɪnstɪŋkt / us. Add to word list Add to word list. the way someone naturally reacts or behaves, without having to think or learn about it: [ + to do sth ] a mother's instinct to protect her children.
instinct (for something/for doing something) instinct (to do something) a natural tendency for people and animals to behave in a particular way, using the knowledge and abilities that they were born with rather than thought or training maternal instincts Children do not know by instinct the difference between right and wrong.
Instinct. Instinct is the inherent inclination of a living organism towards a particular complex behaviour, containing innate (inborn) elements. The simplest example of an instinctive behaviour is a fixed action pattern (FAP), in which a very short to medium length sequence of actions, without variation, are carried out in response to a ...
