Meaning & use
instinctual
Last updated
Relating to or arising from instinct rather than conscious thought.
See it in a sentence
Her instinctual reaction to the loud bang was to duck behind the counter.
Fear of falling appears to be instinctual in most infants.
A note on using this word
Nearly interchangeable with 'instinctive'; 'instinctual' is slightly more common in psychology and academic writing.
Words with a similar meaning
instinctiveinnate
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
learneddeliberate
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