SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
instinctive
adjective
Arising naturally without deliberate thought or conscious planning.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Without deliberate thought
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topInstinctive is broader in everyday use than a biological reflex; an automatic response can also be learned.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See instinctive in use
Her instinctive reaction was to steady the wobbling stack of books.
An instinctive smile appeared on Mara's face as soon as she heard her grandmother's familiar greeting on the next recording, before she thought about responding.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license