innately

[ ih-neyt-lee, in-eyt-lee ]

adverb

1. in a way that is inborn or existent from birth:

   I don't think innately social people, especially those who gravitate toward leadership positions, can truly understand the way less socially adept people think, act, and react.

2. in a way that is inherent or embedded in the nature of something:

   Dry areas are innately lower in soil organic matter because they produce less vegetation than wetter areas.

Other Words From

• un·in·nate·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of innately¹

innate + -ly

Example Sentences

“Our brains are evolved to try to figure out patterns in the world, the environment we are in, and then predict. And when we don’t have that capacity to predict something, it is innately threatening.”

From Los Angeles Times

When I think back to playing multiple dads in different shows and movies, I want to go back and redo all those performances because you know so much more now innately, just having these kids running around.

From Salon

But the value of being seen by someone else isn’t something you innately understand when you’re in your early 20s.

From Salon

It’s about what could we mean to each other going forward, which is innately a very adult question.

From Los Angeles Times

Wood’s early comedy was not very political, but as he grew older he began to explore socially conscious themes that were “innately buried in my subconscious,” he said, as a result of his upbringing in Southern, Black communities.

From Los Angeles Times