{
    "term": "instinct",
    "partOfSpeech": "noun",
    "ox5000": true,
    "cefr": "c1",
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "a natural quality that makes people and animals tend to behave in a particular way using the knowledge and abilities that they were born with rather than thought or training",
            "sensetop": "by instinctinstinct (is) to do somethinginstinct for (doing) something",
            "cefr": "c1",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "She did not seem to have any of the usual **maternal instincts**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Children do not know by instinct the difference between right and wrong.",
                    "contextForm": "by instinct"
                },
                {
                    "text": "His first instinct was to run away.",
                    "contextForm": "instinct (is) to do something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Horses have a well-developed instinct for fear.",
                    "contextForm": "instinct for (doing) something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Even at school, he showed he **had an instinct for** *(= was naturally good at)* business."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Artists have to learn to be guided by their instincts."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Babies know by instinct who their mother is."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Both superpowers shared the same instinct for self-preservation."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He has an instinct for survival in a tough job."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Her instincts took over and she dived on the escaping thief."
                },
                {
                    "text": "In negotiating you have to develop an instinct for when to be tough and when to make a deal."
                },
                {
                    "text": "They accused the campaign of appealing to the electorate's baser instincts."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Why don't you just follow your natural instincts?"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Most people have a well-developed survival instinct."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She has a definite instinct for business."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The instinct for migration seems to be programmed into some birds and not others."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Biology"],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["deep", "powerful", "strong"],
                "verb + instinct": ["have", "possess", "lack"],
                "instinct + verb": [
                    "tell somebody something",
                    "drive somebody",
                    "guide somebody"
                ],
                "preposition": ["by instinct", "on instinct", "instinct for"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "a feeling that makes you do something or believe that something is true, even though it is not based on facts or reason",
            "sensetop": "instinct about somebody/somethinginstinct for…on instinct",
            "cefr": "c1",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "I've always **trusted my instincts** in the past."
                },
                {
                    "text": "It's best to **follow your** first **instincts** in matters like this."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Her instincts about him had been right.",
                    "contextForm": "instinct about somebody/something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "He had a **gut instinct** for when people were lying to him.",
                    "contextForm": "instinct for…"
                },
                {
                    "text": "I acted purely on instinct.",
                    "contextForm": "on instinct"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Her instinct told her that she was being followed."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Out of pure instinct, he moved back a little."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Against her better instincts, she ran back into the burning house to save some of her jewellery."
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["deep", "powerful", "strong"],
                "verb + instinct": ["have", "possess", "lack"],
                "instinct + verb": [
                    "tell somebody something",
                    "drive somebody",
                    "guide somebody"
                ],
                "preposition": ["by instinct", "on instinct", "instinct for"]
            }
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈɪnstɪŋkt/",
                "audio": "in/instinct/instinct__gb_1.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈɪnstɪŋkt/",
                "audio": "in/instinct/instinct__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "late Middle English (also in the sense ‘instigation, impulse’): from Latin instinctus ‘impulse’, from the verb instinguere, from in- ‘towards’ + stinguere ‘to prick’."
}