Added 9 October 2026
innate
/ɪˈneɪt/ adjective
Latin root: innātus First recorded: 1420 Wiktionary
adjective Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about innate at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
-
Not established by conditioning or learning.
an unconditioned reflex
-
Being talented through inherited qualities.
a natural leader
- Present at birth but not necessarily hereditary; acquired during fetal development.
Origin
The adjective is first attested in the 1420s, the verb in 1602; from Middle English innat(e) (“innate, inborn”), borrowed from Latin innātus (“inborn, innate”) (see -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), perfect active participle of innāscor (“to be born in, grow up in”), from in- (“in, at on”) + nāscor (“to be born”); see natal, native. The verb is derived from the adjective, see -ate (verb-forming suffix).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)