Instinctively

How to spell instinctively

13 letters · 4 syllables

How to pronounce instinctively

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does instinctively mean?

1. adverbIn a way that is driven by natural impulse or intuition rather than conscious thought.

Instinctively in a sentence

• She instinctively reached out to steady the falling vase.

• New drivers brake instinctively when a hazard appears ahead.

Where does instinctively come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word traces back to the Latin instinctus, a noun meaning 'impulse' or 'instigation', which itself came from the verb instinguere, literally 'to prick into' or 'to incite', combining in- 'toward' with stinguere 'to prick or goad'. The underlying image is of being prodded or driven by an inner urge rather than reasoned thought. English took up the noun 'instinct' in the fifteenth century to describe a natural inner prompting, and the adjective 'instinctive' followed, with the adverb 'instinctively' built on top of it by the addition of the familiar -ly ending. The same goading root survives in 'distinguish' and 'extinguish', where the sense of pricking or quenching has drifted further from view. The spelling trap sits in the cluster of consonants 'nctiv', so it helps to keep the chain in mind: instinct, then instinctive, then instinctively.

How the word is built

• in- (toward, into)
• stinct (from Latin stinguere 'to prick, goad, incite')
• -ive (tending to)
• -ly (adverb suffix)