Word Study
Intrinsic
CIDE DICTIONARY
Intrinsic, a. [L. intrinsecus inward, on the inside; intra within + secus otherwise, beside; akin to E. second: cf. F. intrinsèque. See Inter-, Second, and cf. Extrinsic.].
- Inward; internal; hence, true; genuine; real; essential; inherent; not merely apparent or accidental; -- opposed to
extrinsic ; as, the intrinsic value of gold or silver; the intrinsic merit of an action; the intrinsic worth or goodness of a person. [1913 Webster]"He was better qualified than they to estimate justly the intrinsic value of Grecian philosophy and refinement." [1913 Webster] - Included wholly within an organ or limb, as certain groups of muscles; -- opposed to
extrinsic . [1913 Webster]
Syn. -- Inherent; innate; natural; real; genuine.
Intrinsic, n.
A genuine quality. Warburton. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
Intrinsic, adj. inherent, essential; belonging naturally (intrinsic value).
Derivative
intrinsically adv.
Etymology
ME, = interior, f. F intrins{egrave}que f. LL intrinsecus f. L intrinsecus (adv.) inwardly
THESAURUS
Intrinsic
actual, appropriate, basic, central, characteristic, congenital, connate, constitutional, deep, deep-seated, distinctive, distinguished, elemental, esoteric, essential, fundamental, genuine, hereditary, idiocratic, idiosyncratic, immanent, implanted, implicit, in character, inalienable, inborn, inbred, indoor, indwelling, infixed, ingrained, inherent, inherited, inmost, innate, inner, innermost, inside, interior, internal, intestine, intimate, inward, inwrought, irreducible, marked, native, natural, organic, peculiar, private, proper, quintessential, real, resident, secret, single, singular, subjective, true, true to form, unalienable, unchallengeable, underlying, unique, unquestionableROGET THESAURUS
Intrinsic
Intrinsicality
N intrinsicality, inbeing, inherence, inhesion, subjectiveness, ego, egohood, essence, noumenon, essentialness, essential part, quintessence, incarnation, quiddity, gist, pith, marrow, core, sap, lifeblood, backbone, heart, soul, important part, principle, nature, constitution, character, type, quality, crasis, diathesis, habit, temper, temperament, spirit, humor, grain, disposition, endowment, capacity, capability, moods, declensions, features, aspects, peculiarities, idiosyncrasy, oddity, idiocrasy, diagnostics, derived from within, subjective, intrinsic, intrinsical, fundamental, normal, implanted, inherent, essential, natural, innate, inborn, inbred, ingrained, inwrought, coeval with birth, genetous, haematobious, syngenic, radical, incarnate, thoroughbred, hereditary, inherited, immanent, congenital, congenite, connate, running in the blood, ingenerate, ingenite, indigenous, in the grain, bred in the bone, instinctive, inward, internal, to the manner born, virtual, characteristic, invariable, incurable, incorrigible, ineradicable, fixed, intrinsically, at bottom, in the main, in effect, practically, virtually, substantially, au fond, fairly, character is higher than intellect, come give us a taste of your quality, magnos homines virtute metimur non fortuna, non numero haec judicantur sed pondere, vital spark of heavenly flame.For further exploring for "Intrinsic" in Webster Dictionary Online