Synonyms of innate

innate

adjective

i-ˈnāt 

as in inherent

being a part of the innermost nature of a person or thing

an innate athletic ability that allowed him to excel at just about any sport he tried his hand at

Synonyms & Similar Words

• inherent
• intrinsic
• integral
• essential
• inborn
• hereditary
• natural
• constitutional
• inherited
• indigenous
• inner
• ingrained
• constitutive
• native
• immanent
• inbred
• hardwired
• fundamental
• congenital
• elemental
• engrained
• basic
• distinctive
• built-in
• internal
• characteristic
• ingrain
• peculiar
• in one's blood
• deep-rooted
• interior
• habitual
• normal
• typical
• inmost
• inveterate
• regular

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• extrinsic
• foreign
• extraneous
• adventitious
• alien
• accidental
• incidental
• surface
• coincidental
• acquired
• external
• superficial
• exterior
• adscititious

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

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