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Added 9 October 2026

reflex

/ˈɹiːflɛks/ noun

Latin root: reflexus Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about reflex at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

An automatic instinctive unlearned reaction to a stimulus.

adjective

Without volition or conscious control.
the automatic shrinking of the pupils of the eye in strong light

Origin

From Late Latin reflexus, past participle of reflectere (“to bend back”), equivalent to re- + flex. Photography sense is from noun sense meaning “reflection”. Compare English reflect.

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

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