instinctual

[in-stingk-choo-uhl] / ɪnˈstɪŋk tʃu əl /

ADJECTIVE

instinctive

Synonyms

WEAK

accustomed by seat of one's pants congenital habitual impulsive inborn ingrained inherent innate intrinsic intuitional intuitive involuntary knee-jerk mechanical native natural normal regular rooted second-nature spontaneous typical unlearned unmeditated unpremeditated unprompted unthinking visceral

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“The Drama” demands discomfort before defying it, making for a sophisticated viewing experience that questions our instinctual judgments.

From Salon • Apr. 9, 2026

“Yermak was more a sort of instinctual negotiator…Budanov has his instincts, but I think he’s going to be much more punctilious about the preparations.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 9, 2026

For the actor, Padilha says, choosing what he wants to do is always instinctual, never premeditated.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 3, 2025

But he also knew that he was seeing something instinctual and primal taking hold of his penned dogs.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy

instinctual

Example Sentences

Related Words