Automatic and Instinctual

Automatic

Automatic adjective - Done instantly and without conscious thought or decision.
Usage example: Carl's automatic use of the brakes narrowly averted a collision

Instinctual is a synonym for automatic in involuntary topic. In some cases you can use "Instinctual" instead an adjective "Automatic", when it comes to topics like instinctive, done by habit. popular alternative

Instinctual

Instinctual adjective - Done instantly and without conscious thought or decision.
Usage example: the birds' instinctual response is to fly away when startled

Automatic is a synonym for instinctual. You can use "Automatic" instead an adjective "Instinctual". popular alternative

Both words in one sentence

  • The Uncanny Valley may be a deep, instinctual reaction: it steers humans, on an automatic level, away from humans who are dead, diseased, or deformed.
Cite this Source
Instinctual and Automatic. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 15, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/automatic/instinctual
Automatic & Instinctual. N.p., 2016. Web. 15 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/automatic/instinctual>.
Instinctual or Automatic. 2016. Accessed August 15, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/automatic/instinctual.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "automatic" and "instinctual" have occurred on timeline