1. Natural inward impulse; unconscious, involuntary, or unreasoning prompting to any mode of action,
whether bodily, or mental, without a distinct apprehension of the end or object to be accomplished.
An instinct is a propensity prior to experience, and independent of instructions.
Paley.
An instinct is a blind tendency to some mode of action, independent of any consideration, on the part of
the agent, of the end to which the action leads.
Whately.
An instinct is an agent which performs blindly and ignorantly a work of intelligence and knowledge.
Sir
W. Hamilton.
By a divine instinct, men's minds mistrust
Ensuing dangers.
Shak. 2. (Zoöl.) Specif., the natural, unreasoning, impulse by which an animal is guided to the performance of
any action, without thought of improvement in the method.
The resemblance between what originally was a habit, and an instinct becomes so close as not to be
distinguished.
Darwin. 3. A natural aptitude or knack; a predilection; as, an instinct for order; to be modest by instinct.
Instinct
(In*stinct") v. t. To impress, as an animating power, or instinct. [Obs.] Bentley.
Instinction
(In*stinc"tion) n. Instinct; incitement; inspiration. [Obs.] Sir T. Elyot.
Instinctive
(In*stinc"tive) a. [Cf. F. instinctif.] Of or pertaining to instinct; derived from, or prompted by,
instinct; of the nature of instinct; determined by natural impulse or propensity; acting or produced without
reasoning, deliberation, instruction, or experience; spontaneous. "Instinctive motion." Milton. "Instinctive
dread." Cowper.
With taste instinctive give
Each grace appropriate.
Mason.
Have we had instinctive intimations of the death of some absent friends?
Bp. Hall. The terms instinctive belief, instinctive judgment, instinctive cognition, are expressions not ill adapted
to characterize a belief, judgment, or cognition, which, as the result of no anterior consciousness, is, like
the products of animal instinct, the intelligent effect of (as far as we are concerned) an unknown cause.
Sir H. Hamilton.
Syn. — Natural; voluntary; spontaneous; original; innate; inherent; automatic.
Instinctively
(In*stinc"tive*ly), adv. In an instinctive manner; by force of instinct; by natural impulse.
Instinctivity
(In`stinc*tiv"i*ty) n. The quality of being instinctive, or prompted by instinct. [R.] Coleridge.
Instipulate
(In*stip"u*late) a. See Exstipulate.
Institute
(In"sti*tute) p. a. [L. institutus, p. p. of instituere to place in, to institute, to instruct; pref. in-
in + statuere to cause to stand, to set. See Statute.] Established; organized; founded. [Obs.]
They have but few laws. For to a people so instruct and institute, very few to suffice.
Robynson
Institute
(In"sti*tute) v. t. [imp. & p. p. Instituted (- tu`ted); p. pr. & vb. n. Instituting.]
1. To set up; to establish; to ordain; as, to institute laws, rules, etc.
