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View synonyms for

innate

[ih-neyt, in-eyt]

adjective

  1. existing in one from birth; inborn; native.

    innate musical talent.

    Synonyms: ,
  2. inherent in the essential character of something.

    an innate defect in the hypothesis.

  3. originating in or arising from the intellect or the constitution of the mind, rather than learned through experience.

    an innate knowledge of good and evil.



innate

/ ɪˈneɪt, ˈɪneɪt /

adjective

  1. existing in a person or animal from birth; congenital; inborn

  2. being an essential part of the character of a person or thing

  3. instinctive; not learned

    innate capacities

  4. botany (of anthers) joined to the filament by the base only

  5. (in rationalist philosophy) (of ideas) present in the mind before any experience and knowable by pure reason

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other Word Forms

  • innately adverb
  • innateness noun
  • uninnate adjective
  • uninnateness noun
  • ˈԲٱԱ noun
  • ˈԲٱ adverb
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Word History and Origins

Origin of innate1

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin Բٳܲ “inborn,” past participle of Բī “to be born, arise,” equivalent to in- in- 2 + ī “to be born”; nascent, nativity
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Word History and Origins

Origin of innate1

C15: from Latin, from ԲԲī to be born in, from Բī to be born
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Synonym Study

Innate, inborn, congenital, hereditary describe qualities, characteristics, or possessions acquired before or at the time of birth. Innate, of Latin origin, and inborn, a native English word, share the literal basic sense “existing at the time of birth,” and they are interchangeable in most contexts: innate (or inborn ) stodginess, agility, gracefulness. Congenital refers most often to characteristics acquired during fetal development, especially defects or undesirable conditions: a congenital deformity; congenital blindness. Hereditary describes qualities or things passed on from ancestors, either through the genes or by social or legal means: Hemophilia is a hereditary condition; a hereditary title.
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Human children have been shown to do this before they can walk or talk, though it’s unclear whether this ability is learned or innate.

From

“But I do think that they promote a certain way of thinking that is very system-justifying. You're surviving, you're competing with others, and based on your innate skills, you can get ahead.”

From

The first one is about "our innate desire for a strongman to fix our problems and punish those who aggrieve us."

From

“She obviously had some innate spark that really drives her to excel, but she has put in the time,” Perales said.

From

“Overcompensating” deftly balances its innate absurdity with a whole lot of earnestness, creating a silly, strangely gripping rhythm that makes the show uniquely watchable.

From

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