innate, inborn, inbred, congenital, hereditary mean not acquired after birth. innate applies to qualities or characteristics that are part of one's inner essential nature.

INNATE definition: existing in one from birth; inborn; native. See examples of innate used in a sentence.

A large and long-standing body of research literature shows that toy preferences, for example, are innate, not socially constructed or shaped by parental feedback.

Definition of innate adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

Innate, inborn, congenital, hereditary describe qualities, characteristics, or possessions acquired before or at the time of birth.

An innate quality or ability is one which a person is born with. They have an innate sense of fairness. ...a society in which individuals could develop their innate abilities and capacities.

innate , inherent - The word innate means "inborn" and should apply to living things; inherent is "essential, intrinsic" and applies best to nonliving things like ideas.

Nov 26, 2025 · innate (not comparable) Inborn; existing or having existed since birth. synonym quotations Synonyms: see Thesaurus: innate

Innate definition: Possessed as an essential characteristic; inherent.

There are five meanings listed in OED's entry for the adjective innate, one of which is labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.