Definition of Instinct
(noun) A tendency to behave in certain ways that is unlearned and often considered innate.
Instinct Pronunciation
Syllabification: in·stinct
Audio Pronunciation
Phonetic Spelling
- American English – /In-stingkt/
- British English – /In-stingkt/
International Phonetic Alphabet
- American English – /ˈɪnstɪŋkt/
- British English – /ˈɪnstɪŋkt/
Usage Notes
- Plural: instincts
- Also called inherent aptitude.
- When acting on instinct, a person reacts in an (adjective) instinctual or (adjective) instinctive manner.
Additional Information
Related Terms
Works Consulted
Kendall, Diana. 2011. Sociology in Our Times. 8th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Merriam-Webster. (N.d.) Merriam-Webster Dictionary. (http://www.merriam-webster.com/).
Oxford University Press. (N.d.) Oxford Dictionaries. (https://www.oxforddictionaries.com/).
Shepard, Jon M. 2010. Sociology. 11th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Shepard, Jon M., and Robert W. Greene. 2003. Sociology and You. New York: Glencoe.
Tischler, Henry L. 2011. Introduction to Sociology. 10th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Wikipedia contributors. (N.d.) Wiktionary, The Free Dictionary. Wikimedia Foundation. (http://en.wiktionary.org).
Cite the Definition of Instinct
ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)
Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “instinct.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved December 11, 2023 (https://sociologydictionary.org/instinct/).
APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition)
instinct. (2013). In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/instinct/
Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date – Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)
Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “instinct.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed December 11, 2023. https://sociologydictionary.org/instinct/.
MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)
“instinct.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2013. Web. 11 Dec. 2023. <https://sociologydictionary.org/instinct/>.