Meaning & use
innate skills
Last updated
Meaning
nounplural
Abilities that a person or animal is born with rather than develops through training.
Grammar: Always plural; use with plural verbs. The singular 'innate skill' is also used.
Patterns
- innate skills in something
- have innate skills
- possess innate skills
Some psychologists argue that humans have innate skills for recognizing faces.
Her innate skills in drawing surprised everyone because she had never taken an art class.
The training program aims to build on the innate skills that each child already has.
Word forms
| singular | innate skill |
|---|
Common combinations
- possess innate skills
- Many animals possess innate skills that help them survive.
- innate skills in a field
- He showed innate skills in music from a very young age.
- develop innate skills
- Teachers should help students develop their innate skills.
- lack innate skills
- Some people seem to lack innate skills for social interaction.
Synonyms and how they differ
- natural skills
- More common in everyday language and often refers to specific activities; 'innate skills' is more formal.
- inborn talents
- Very close in meaning, but 'talents' often suggests artistic or creative ability.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: innate skills or inherent skills?
innate skills vs inherent skills
'Inherent' means existing as a natural part of something, but not necessarily from birth; 'innate' specifically means from birth.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'innate skills' correctly?
Choose one answer.
B is correct because 'innate skills' are natural abilities present from birth, not learned. An and C are wrong because training and practice improve learned skills, not innate ones. D is wrong because innate skills are not taught.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “innate skills”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.