instinctive

Everyday

1. Done naturally, without learning or thinking about it. tree →
2. (science) Coming from instinct: behaviour an animal is born knowing, like a spider spinning a web. tree →

In the lessons

In science lessons, instinctive behaviour (birds migrating, babies sucking, turtles heading for the sea) is compared with learned behaviour (a dog learning tricks). In everyday life, an instinctive reaction is pulling your hand away from something hot. Phrases: instinctive reaction, instinctive behaviour, an instinctive feeling.

Examples

• Pulling your hand from a hot pan is instinctive. tree →
• Baby turtles have an instinctive urge to crawl to the sea. tree →
• Spinning webs is instinctive for spiders; nobody teaches them. tree →
• She had an instinctive feeling that something was wrong. tree →
• Ducklings instinctively follow their mother. tree →
• He's an instinctive footballer who always knows where to run. tree →
• Folklore, legends, myths and fairy tales have followed childhood through the ages, for every healthy youngster has a wholesome and instinctive love for stories fantastic, marvelous and manifestly unreal. tree →

Note

Noun «instinct». Opposite idea: «learned» behaviour. Note: some things we do quickly feel instinctive but were actually learned through practice, like riding a bike.