instinctive

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Recognition may be instinctive, that is, based on the repetition of a felt reaction or emotion, rather than on any memory of a former occasion on which the same perception occurred.

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Definitions (6)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (3)

  1. adjective Of, relating to, or prompted by instinct.
  2. adjective Arising from impulse; spontaneous and unthinking: an instinctive mistrust of bureaucrats.
  3. Syntax Note
    Synonyms: instinctive, instinctual, intuitive, visceral
    These adjectives mean derived from or prompted by a natural tendency or impulse: an instinctive fear of snakes; instinctual behavior; an intuitive perception; visceral revulsion. See Also Synonyms at spontaneous.

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Examples (50)

  • I think our first two were much more instinctive, they just kind of 'happened' - we've done a lot of gigs now and have both matured as musicians, so for better or worse we've put a lot more thought into this record. —  British Blogs
  • Most traders get where they are because they understand the dynamics of the market and make can make good instinctive, and experience-backed decisions under pressure. —  Dealbreaker
  • The company was founded in 1992 on the core beliefs that learning a language should be natural and instinctive, and that interactive technology can powerfully replicate the immersion experience and activate the natural language-learning ability in learners of any age.
  • Calling "religion" instinctive is like calling wearing clothes instinctive, or building apartment buildings instinctive. —  TierneyLab
  • Brown readily admits that when the pocket breaks down and the play becomes instinctive, his first inclination is to scramble and buy time to throw the football downfield. —  MSNsportsNET.com Featured Content
 

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Roget's II Roget's II: The New Thesaurus

Allen's Allen's Synonyms and Antonyms

Used in the same context Used in the Same Context

innate ·  intuitive ·  natural ·  mutual ·  profound ·  irrational ·  habitual ·  inward ·  involuntary ·  unconscious
Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary. Copyright © 2003, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
 

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/ɪnˈstɪŋktɪv/
by American Heritage

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