Instinct

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈɪn.stɪŋkt/

Definitions

1. An innate behavioral response or natural tendency that occurs without conscious thought or prior learning
2. A natural inclination or inherent ability to respond to stimuli in a way that does not require deliberate reasoning or prior education
3. A spontaneous, unlearned reaction to environmental cues stemming from an innate understanding or awareness

Etymology: Before it named an inborn urge, "instinct" meant something closer to a spur. Its Latin source, "instinctus," was the past participle of "instinguere," which meant "to incite" or "to instigate," and it was built from "in" ("in, on") and "stinguere" ("to prick"). The image is of something driven forward by a jab, so the sense of being pushed from within is present from the start. The English word carried that sense of inner impulse into its modern meaning: a behaviour that happens automatically, without deliberate reasoning. Over time the "pricking" stimulus faded from view, and what remained was the idea of a motive that arises before thought. The word is used both for the reflexes of animals and for an intuitive sense in people that acts before conscious deliberation.

Synonyms: intuition, impulse, gut feeling, innate behavior, natural tendency

Antonyms: reason, logic, calculation, thoughtfulness, deliberation