Meaning & use
intrinsic quality
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Meanings
nouncountable
a feature that belongs to something by its own nature, not because of outside factors
Grammar: Countable; usually used with 'a' or 'the', and can be plural: 'intrinsic qualities'.
Patterns
- the intrinsic quality of something
- have an intrinsic quality
- possess intrinsic qualities
Honesty is an intrinsic quality of good journalism, not something added from outside.
The intrinsic quality of the material makes it valuable even without any marketing.
Philosophers debate whether beauty is an intrinsic quality of an object or something we project onto it.
noununcountable
the natural level of excellence that something has in itself, apart from its price or popularity
Grammar: Uncountable when talking about overall worth or standard, not a single feature.
Patterns
- judge the intrinsic quality of something
- the intrinsic quality of the work
Critics praised the intrinsic quality of the design, even though the product sold poorly.
We should judge the intrinsic quality of the research, not just how many people cite it.
Word forms
| plural | intrinsic qualities |
|---|
Common combinations
- an intrinsic quality of something
- Curiosity is an intrinsic quality of a good scientist.
- intrinsic value
- The painting has intrinsic value as a work of art, beyond what it would sell for.
- intrinsic worth
- She believes every person has intrinsic worth.
- judge the intrinsic quality
- It is hard to judge the intrinsic quality of a wine without tasting it.
Synonyms and how they differ
- inherent quality
- Very close in meaning, but 'inherent' often stresses that the feature is permanent and cannot be separated.
- innate quality
- Use this mainly for living things and abilities present from birth, not for objects.
- essential quality
- Stronger: it suggests the feature is necessary for the thing to be what it is.
Opposites
Word family
- intrinsically adverb
- In a way that belongs to something by its own nature: 'The work is intrinsically interesting.'
- intrinsic adjective
- Belonging to something by its own nature.
Commonly confused: intrinsic quality or extrinsic quality?
intrinsic quality vs extrinsic quality
Extrinsic means coming from outside the thing itself, such as its price or reputation. Intrinsic means coming from within.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'intrinsic quality' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Intrinsic quality means a feature belonging to the thing itself by nature, so the diamond's natural hardness fits. The other options describe outside factors such as price, a coach, or a neighborhood, which are extrinsic.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “intrinsic quality”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.