Words / B2

in-STINGKT-iv/ɪnˈstɪŋktɪv/

Instinctive means automatic, without conscious thought: an instinctive reaction; instinctive distrust. Instinctual is rarer. An instinctive guess is not evaluation. Instinct is the noun. Do not label a rehearsed technique instinctive.

Meaning

Done automatically, without conscious thought.

Examples

• “An instinctive guess is not evaluation; show the working.”
• “An instinctive flinch delayed the catch, which is the physical sense.”

Good to know

an instinctive reaction / grasp. Noun: instinct. Adverb: instinctively. Exams and sport. Automatic — not a taught method.

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