Main Entry: in·trin·sic

Pronunciation: \in-ˈtrin-zik, -ˈtrin(t)-sik\

Function: adjective

Etymology: French intrinsèque internal, from Late Latin intrinsecus, from Latin, adverb, inwardly; akin to Latin intra within — more at intra-

Date: 1635

1 a : belonging to the essential nature or constitution of a thing <the intrinsic worth of a gem> <the intrinsic brightness of a star> b : being or relating to a semiconductor in which the concentration of charge carriers is characteristic of the material itself instead of the content of any impurities it contains
2 a : originating or due to causes within a body, organ, or part <an intrinsic metabolic disease> b : originating and included wholly within an organ or part <intrinsic muscles> — compare extrinsic 1b

— in·trin·si·cal·ly \-zi-k(ə-)lē, -si-\ adverb