hardwired

adjective

hard·wired | \ ˈhärd-ˌwī(-ə)rd

Definition of hardwired

1 : implemented in the form of permanent electronic circuits also : connected or incorporated by or as if by permanent electrical connections a hardwired phone concepts of attractiveness may be universal and hardwired into the human brain — Jane E. Brody

2 : genetically or innately determined : inborn creature whose every action is a reflexive, hardwired response— Natalie Angier also : genetically or innately predisposed a human being who is hardwired to be sociable — Forbes

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Examples of hardwired in a Sentence

a cat with a hardwired compulsion to knock expensive knickknacks off of shelves

Recent Examples on the Web Avoid hardwired plugs; replacement could be problematic. — Jim Allen, Popular Mechanics, "The Best Turntables at Any Price You Can Buy Right Now," 23 Nov. 2020 Avoid hardwired plugs; replacement could be problematic. — Jim Allen, Popular Mechanics, "The Best Turntables at Any Price You Can Buy Right Now," 23 Nov. 2020 Avoid hardwired plugs; replacement could be problematic. — Jim Allen, Popular Mechanics, "The Best Turntables at Any Price You Can Buy Right Now," 23 Nov. 2020 Avoid hardwired plugs; replacement could be problematic. — Jim Allen, Popular Mechanics, "The Best Turntables at Any Price You Can Buy Right Now," 23 Nov. 2020 Avoid hardwired plugs; replacement could be problematic. — Jim Allen, Popular Mechanics, "The Best Turntables at Any Price You Can Buy Right Now," 23 Nov. 2020 Avoid hardwired plugs; replacement could be problematic. — Jim Allen, Popular Mechanics, "The Best Turntables at Any Price You Can Buy Right Now," 23 Nov. 2020 Installation of a hardwired smoke detector can be done yourself or by a professional. — Nicole Bradley, Better Homes & Gardens, "6 Best Smoke Detectors to Keep Your Family Safe," 2 June 2020 To explore how hardwired the effect might be, Eberhardt and colleagues at Stanford recruited 10 black and 10 white students and put them in an MRI machine while showing them photographs of white and black faces. — Douglas Starr, Science | AAAS, "Meet the psychologist exploring unconscious bias—and its tragic consequences for society," 26 Mar. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hardwired.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.