l'

masculine

/ɛ̃s.tɛ̃/

#2341 of 5,000 Core 5000

Translation

instinct, gut feeling

Word origin

From Latin instinctus ('impulse, prompting'), from instinguere ('to incite'). The idea is of being pricked from within towards an action.

Origin: Latin
Root: instinctus
English cognates: instinct

Grammar

Gendermasculine

Pluralinstincts

Examples

Her motherly instinct took over.

Animals follow their instinct.

Trust your gut.

He fired on pure instinct.

His instincts are never wrong.

Where this fits

The 1,000 most common French words

Where this word sits in the core vocabulary, and what to learn around it.

French vocabulary by CEFR level

How many words each level actually needs, with real counts.

French learning guides

Podcasts, pronunciation traps and the things a word list cannot teach.

Used in

Grammar articles

(5)

Add to review queue

Track this word in your spaced-repetition queue and be tested on it at the right interval.

Go to my review queue

French · Free printables

instinct: worksheet, infographic and listicle

Free printable study downloads for the French word "instinct" (instinct, gut feeling): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.

Free for members

The printable worksheets, infographics and PDFs are free with an account. Start a free week and download as many as you like.

Start your free week

This word is part of lesson 47.