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Added 9 October 2026

intrinsic

/ɪnˈtɹɪn.zɪk/ adjective

Latin root: intrīnsecus Wiktionary

adjective Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about intrinsic at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Innate, inherent, inseparable from the thing itself, essential.
the intrinsic value of gold or silver
Situated, produced, secreted in, or coming from inside an organ, tissue, muscle or member.
Built-in.

noun

A built-in function that is implemented directly by the compiler, without any intermediate call to a library.
SIMD intrinics
An ability possessed by a character and not requiring any external equipment.
You can acquire the fire-resistance intrinsic by eating dragon meat.

Origin

From Middle French intrinsèque, from Latin intrīnsecus (“on the inside, inwardly”), from *intrim, an assumed adverbial form of inter (“within”) + secus (“by, on the side”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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