intrinsic

adjective

in·trin·sic in-ˈtrin-zik

-ˈtrin(t)-sik

Synonyms of intrinsic next

: belonging to the essential nature or constitution of a thing

the intrinsic worth of a gem

the intrinsic brightness of a star

: 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

: originating or due to causes within a body, organ, or part

an intrinsic metabolic disease

: originating and included wholly within an organ or part

intrinsic muscles

compare extrinsic sense 1b

Example Sentences

He is the ideal courtier. His nobility is intrinsic, and so he can drape himself in this purple cloak of tasteful modernity, make a cocktail of past and present, the cream of both. —

Noah Charney, The Art Thief, 2007

Subatomic particles have an intrinsic orientation known as spin, which can point in one of two directions, conventionally called "up" and "down." —

Abraham Loeb, Scientific American, November 2006

Yet despite the digital culture's endless celebrations of diversity … there is a certain mindless repetition intrinsic to the Internet, where ideas and software multiply a thousandfold with one click; where the lure of wider communication drives users toward an ultimate "interoperability" and, hence, toward an ultimate uniformity. —

Julian Dibbell, Harper's, August 2001

the intrinsic value of a gem the intrinsic brightness of a star

Recent Examples on the Web Only recently has the technology advanced to the point where the body doesn’t immediately reject it by activating the antiviral defenses intrinsic to each of your cells. —

David Verhoeven, The Conversation, 17 May 2023 Given the intrinsic peculiarities and innovations of crypto networks, the agency must consider disclosure rules tailored for the industry. —

William Mougayar, Fortune Crypto, 12 May 2023 For the local universe, most rely on various standard candles—certain types of supernovae and other astrophysical objects that possess a known, scarcely varying intrinsic brightness, allowing their distances and motions with respect to us to be more easily ascertained. —

Jonathan O'callaghan, Scientific American, 11 May 2023 Intergenerational collaboration, like other forms of diversity, has intrinsic and extrinsic value. —

Mark A. Cohen, Forbes, 19 Apr. 2023 There isn’t intrinsic value in an ad, especially not before it has been placed in a media buy and judged in its performance. —

David Doty, Forbes, 4 May 2023 We are created with irreplaceable intrinsic value by God, not by government. —

Lauren Green, Fox News, 14 Mar. 2023 What kind of intrinsic value does that environment have? —

Ramin Skibba, WIRED, 3 Mar. 2023 Unlike stocks and bonds, which give owners a claim on the issuers’ profits, or precious metals, which generally have intrinsic industrial or commercial value, cryptocurrencies represent no ownership of anything tangible and no claim on economic productivity. —

Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 17 Feb. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'intrinsic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.