Instinctive and Intentional
Opposite meaning words
Instinctive
Instinctive adjective - Done instantly and without conscious thought or decision.
Usage example: the instinctive reaction of a mother is to protect her children
Intentional is an antonym for instinctive.
Intentional
Intentional adjective - Made, given, or done with full awareness of what one is doing.
Usage example: I'm fairly sure that your “accidental” cutting down of my rosebush was really intentional
Instinctive is an antonym for intentional.
Cite this Source
Intentional and Instinctive. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 14, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/instinctive/intentional
Instinctive & Intentional. N.p., 2016. Web. 14 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/instinctive/intentional>.
Intentional or Instinctive. 2016. Accessed August 14, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/instinctive/intentional.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "instinctive" and "intentional" have occurred on timeline