Synonym Chooser

How is the word innate different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of innate are congenital, hereditary, inborn, and inbred. While all these words mean "not acquired after birth," innate applies to qualities or characteristics that are part of one's inner essential nature.

an innate sense of fair play

How are the words congenital and hereditary related as synonyms of innate?

Both congenital and hereditary refer to what is acquired before or at birth, the former to things acquired during fetal development and the latter to things transmitted from one's ancestors.

a congenital heart murmur
eye color is hereditary

When would inborn be a good substitute for innate?

The meanings of inborn and innate largely overlap; however, inborn suggests a quality or tendency either actually present at birth or so marked and deep-seated as to seem so.

her inborn love of nature

When might inbred be a better fit than innate?

The synonyms inbred and innate are sometimes interchangeable, but inbred suggests something either acquired from parents by heredity or so deeply rooted and ingrained as to seem acquired in that way.

inbred political loyalties

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of innate As expected, this collection felt clean and easy in a way that can only be innate. Karissa Mitchell, Essence, 25 June 2025 What makes the Bogong moth’s skill even more extraordinary is that the insect only makes this trip once in its life, so its ability to navigate must be innate. Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 20 June 2025 Successful candidates have to have the innate ability, coupled with the determination to push through years of training to learn the nuances of each aircraft, each airport and each control facility. Joel Rose, NPR, 19 June 2025 And while that initial impulse to attach is innate—evolution’s way of ensuring our affinity to parents and other important providers—anything beyond it must be taught. Dr. Rami Kaminski, Time, 18 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for innate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for innate
Adjective
  • Performance Trade-Offs: Real-time applications face inherent constraints due to the computational overhead of symbolic reasoning, knowledge graph traversal and the general reduction in inference speeds compared to pure neural approaches.
    Anuradha Weeraman, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
  • The fibers’ inherent comfort also resonates with lifestyle brands like Ugg.
    SJ Studio, Sourcing Journal, 30 June 2025
Adjective
  • In a 2021 study published in Psychological Reports, researchers explored how intrinsic motivation, the internal drive to act based on interest, personal importance or inner values, affects satisfaction in long-term romantic relationships.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 22 June 2025
  • Underlying all of this is the intrinsic tendency to resist cooperation.
    Harvey Levine, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 June 2025
Adjective
  • Legal recourse can be an integral part of institutional strategy.
    John Marino, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025
  • Scientific fieldwork is an integral part of research in many disciplines, including geology, geography, forestry, ecology, and others.
    Sarah Boon June 25, Literary Hub, 25 June 2025
Adjective
  • The idea is to keep pushing European governments on problems created by tourism, like rising rents and housing shortages, environmental damage and neighborhoods losing essential services for residents.
    Michael Goldstein, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
  • Some of these technologies are essential for ensuring the proper functioning of the service or website and cannot be disabled, while others are optional but serve to enhance the user experience in various ways.
    Matthew Strauss, Pitchfork, 1 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Innate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/innate. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on innate

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