in·stinct
ˈin-ˌstiŋ(k)t 
1
: a natural or inherent aptitude, impulse, or capacity
had an instinct for the right word
2
a
: a largely inheritable and unalterable tendency of an organism to make a complex and specific response to environmental stimuli without involving reason
b
: behavior that is mediated by reactions below the conscious level
instinctually
adverb
in·stinct
in-ˈstiŋ(k)t
ˈin-ˌstiŋ(k)t
ˈin-ˌstiŋ(k)t
1
: profoundly imbued : infused
my mood, instinct with romance—
S. J. Perelman
S. J. Perelman2
obsolete
: impelled by an inner or animating or exciting agency
Examples of instinct in a Sentence
Noun
Our first instinct was to run.
Cats possess a natural hunting instinct.
Seeing the baby aroused all her maternal instincts.
He has been guided throughout his career by his political instincts.
Mere instinct alerted her to the danger.
He knew by instinct what not to say.
She seemed to know by instinct that something was wrong.
He has a strong survival instinct.
an athlete with good instincts
Recent Examples on the WebEmma Seppälä, TIME, 23 Apr. 2024
Draft profiles praise his football IQ, his tackling ability, his instincts.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 17 Apr. 2024
Advertisement The final scenes are clearly over the top, but Lee stepping out into the line of fire to protect Jessie seemed more like a motherly instinct than one of a colleague.
—Greg Braxton, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
Chained in a finished basement, Alan spends his days thinking of his family, hallucinating his own therapy sessions with former mentor Charlie (David Alan Grier), and trying to get Sam to curb his deadly instincts.
—Tanya Melendez, EW.com, 13 Apr. 2024
Junior shares some of his father’s skills such as his ability to fly around, trust his instincts and make plays.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2024
But these isolated incidents also speak to his regal aura and his killer style instincts that have carried him across decades as a fashionable titan within the R&B canon.
—Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 10 Apr. 2024
Over the decades, Iran and its proxies have developed keen instincts for calibrating risk.
—Suzanne Maloney, Foreign Affairs, 8 Apr. 2024
Elite instincts, work ethic and processing ability almost always puts the two-time team captain in a position to make a play.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2024
Laylan Connelly, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024
However, there’s still something to be said for what that gut feeling, instinct, or intuition can tell you.
—Rhett Power, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2024
Kelce said being on the same wavelength with his quarterback was borne of work and practice reps which over time became instinct.
—Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2024
So with nothing to go on but instinct, Mom ended up sending us a beautiful, handmade, heirloom-quality [thingy].
—Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 27 Dec. 2023
In the early days of hedge funds, so much trading was based on whim, instinct, and vaguely divinatory practices like tape reading, so called after the ticker tape used to transmit trades via telegraph.
—Tarpley Hitt, The New Yorker, 16 Nov. 2023
Vocal learning is the ability to produce new sounds by imitating others, relying on experience rather than instinct.
—Jocelyn Solis-Moreira, Popular Science, 14 Sep. 2023
That’s pretty common, particularly among great coaches and their players, that there is a paternal, fatherly instinct.
—J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 20 Aug. 2023
Annalise Caron, a clinical psychologist who runs an initiative dedicated to parenting, understands the instinct parents have to seek community.
—Fortesa Latifi, Washington Post, 11 May 2023
Noun
Our instincts are meant to keep us away from danger and near safety in a complex world—and even save your life.
—Emma Seppälä, TIME, 23 Apr. 2024
Draft profiles praise his football IQ, his tackling ability, his instincts.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 17 Apr. 2024
Advertisement The final scenes are clearly over the top, but Lee stepping out into the line of fire to protect Jessie seemed more like a motherly instinct than one of a colleague.
—Greg Braxton, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
Chained in a finished basement, Alan spends his days thinking of his family, hallucinating his own therapy sessions with former mentor Charlie (David Alan Grier), and trying to get Sam to curb his deadly instincts.
—Tanya Melendez, EW.com, 13 Apr. 2024
Junior shares some of his father’s skills such as his ability to fly around, trust his instincts and make plays.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2024
But these isolated incidents also speak to his regal aura and his killer style instincts that have carried him across decades as a fashionable titan within the R&B canon.
—Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 10 Apr. 2024
Over the decades, Iran and its proxies have developed keen instincts for calibrating risk.
—Suzanne Maloney, Foreign Affairs, 8 Apr. 2024
Elite instincts, work ethic and processing ability almost always puts the two-time team captain in a position to make a play.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2024
Adjective
Weber had taken a CPR course in high school, and somehow instinct took over.
—Laylan Connelly, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024
However, there’s still something to be said for what that gut feeling, instinct, or intuition can tell you.
—Rhett Power, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2024
Kelce said being on the same wavelength with his quarterback was borne of work and practice reps which over time became instinct.
—Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2024
So with nothing to go on but instinct, Mom ended up sending us a beautiful, handmade, heirloom-quality [thingy].
—Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 27 Dec. 2023
In the early days of hedge funds, so much trading was based on whim, instinct, and vaguely divinatory practices like tape reading, so called after the ticker tape used to transmit trades via telegraph.
—Tarpley Hitt, The New Yorker, 16 Nov. 2023
Vocal learning is the ability to produce new sounds by imitating others, relying on experience rather than instinct.
—Jocelyn Solis-Moreira, Popular Science, 14 Sep. 2023
That’s pretty common, particularly among great coaches and their players, that there is a paternal, fatherly instinct.
—J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 20 Aug. 2023
Annalise Caron, a clinical psychologist who runs an initiative dedicated to parenting, understands the instinct parents have to seek community.
—Fortesa Latifi, Washington Post, 11 May 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'instinct.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Instinct.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/instinct. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
instinct
noun
in·stinct
ˈin-ˌstiŋ(k)t
1
: a largely inheritable and unalterable tendency of an organism to make a complex and specific response to environmental stimuli without involving reason
2
: behavior that is mediated by reactions below the conscious level
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