innate

innate — adjective

1. describes a quality, skill, or characteristic that a person or animal naturally

1.形容詞B2
釋義

describes a quality, skill, or characteristic that a person or animal naturally has from birth, rather than one gained through training, education, or experience

例句

Dylan has an innate sense of rhythm that makes him a brilliant drummer.

collocation: innate sense of [rhythm, direction, etc.]

The ability to recognise faces appears to be innate in human babies.

pattern: be innate in [someone/something]

同義詞
  • inborn

    essentially synonymous but slightly less common; tends toward biological or hereditary traits (e.g. an inborn disease)

  • natural

    far more frequent in everyday speech; broader — can also describe things achieved without effort (e.g. a natural leader)

  • instinctive

    shifts focus to automatic, unlearned behaviour (reflexes, gut reactions) rather than stable qualities or abilities

反義詞
  • learned

    acquired through instruction, experience, or practice

  • acquired

    developed after birth through environmental influence or habit

  • taught

    received through deliberate instruction from others

文法句型

be innate in [someone/something]

an innate [quality/ability/characteristic]

用法筆記

Frequently used with nouns such as ability, sense, talent, quality, and curiosity. In everyday conversation, natural is far more common than innate — use innate when you want to emphasise that something is present from birth rather than developed.

常見錯誤

❌Years of practice gave her an innate talent for painting.
✅She had an innate talent for painting that was polished by years of practice.
💡innate means existing from birth, not developed over time.
❌He pulled his hand away by innate reflex.
✅Pulling your hand away from heat is an instinctive reflex, not an innate quality.
💡innate describes qualities or abilities you are born with, not automatic physical reactions.