intrinsic

C2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ɪnˈtɹɪn.zɪk/ See IPA manual

Freq #41422

Meanings

1

adj
Belonging naturally to something as part of its basic nature.

Honesty was an intrinsic part of his character.
2

adj
Built in; existing as part of something rather than added from outside.

The software has intrinsic security features that need no extra setup.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · belonging naturally to... essential inherent innateintrinsicalinborn

More built-inimmanent inbuiltinfusedingrained integral inwrought radical

Opposites

alien external extrinsic foreign

Word family

Forms intrinsics

Derived forms intrinsicality intrinsicallyintrinsicnessintrinsicoidintrinsifynonintrinsicsubintrinsicunintrinsic

Related forms birthright installed instilled integrated internalinternalizedinterwoven native natural ubiquitous

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

intrinsic factor
a substance produced in the stomach that enables vitamin B12 absorption

Adjective + noun

Etymology

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”).

*sekʷ- Proto-Indo-European intrīnsecus Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# intrinsic

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ɪnˈtɹɪn.zɪk/
**Frequency rank:** 41422

## Meanings
1. Belonging naturally to something as part of its basic nature.
2. Built in; existing as part of something rather than added from outside.

## Examples
- Honesty was an intrinsic part of his character.
- The software has intrinsic security features that need no extra setup.

## Synonyms
- built-in
- essential
- immanent
- inborn
- inbuilt
- infused
- ingrained
- inherent
- integral
- inwrought
- radical

## Antonyms
- alien
- external
- extrinsic
- foreign

## Derived Forms
- intrinsicality
- intrinsically
- intrinsicness
- intrinsicoid
- intrinsify
- nonintrinsic
- subintrinsic
- unintrinsic

## Related Forms
- birthright
- installed
- instilled
- integrated
- internal
- internalized
- interwoven
- native
- natural
- ubiquitous

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *sekʷ-
- Root: intrīnsecus

## Etymology
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”).

## AI Etymology
Intrinsic is 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”). The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern form is built from the named base and affix. Important recorded forms include *sekʷ- (Proto-Indo-European) and intrīnsecus (Latin). Current senses include belonging naturally to something as part of its basic nature and built in; existing as part of something rather than added from outside. The wider family includes derived forms such as intrinsicality, intrinsically, intrinsicness, intrinsicoid, and intrinsify; related words such as birthright, installed, instilled, and integrated.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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