Meaning & use

innate

adjective·Academic

Existing in a person or animal from birth, rather than acquired through experience or learning.

See it in a sentence

Some scientists believe humans have an innate sense of fairness.

Her innate curiosity led her to question everything around her.

A note on using this word

Innate contrasts with acquired or learned; it's commonly discussed in debates about nature versus nurture.

Words with a similar meaning

inbornnatural

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

acquiredlearned

Make it your own

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