Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

instinctive

/ɪnˈstɪŋktɪv/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.04 in modern English

Syllables: in-stinc-tive
IPA: /ɪnˈstɪŋktɪv/

16

Scrabble Score

11

Letters

3

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Related to or prompted by instinct.

adj

Driven by impulse, spontaneous and without thinking.

Example Sentences

"When approached by a stranger, Jared clenched his fists in an instinctive manner."

Etymology

Etymology tree English instinct Proto-Indo-European *-wós Proto-Indo-European *-iHwósder. Latin -īvus Old French -ifbor. Middle English -yf English -ive English instinctive From instinct + -ive.

Inflected Forms

more instinctive (comparative) most instinctive (superlative)

Derived Forms

instinctively instinctiveness instinctivity noninstinctive uninstinctive

Phrases

instinctive drift

Synonyms

natural

Rhymes With

distinctive

Questions

How do you pronounce instinctive?: The recorded pronunciation is /ɪnˈstɪŋktɪv/.
What does instinctive mean?: Related to or prompted by instinct.
Where does instinctive come from?: Etymology tree English instinct Proto-Indo-European *-wós Proto-Indo-European *-iHwósder. Latin -īvus Old French -ifbor. Middle English -yf English -ive English instinctive From instinct + -ive.

How to pronounce instinctive

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